Iria Predator: Techno War
by Japan Boy
Summary: Over a year since she defeated Zeiram, Iria is on a leave of absence until a young man - a laid-off employee of the Tedan Tippedai - asks for her help to take down a new operation of theirs: one that involves creating deadly weapons & technology based on a race of alien hunters who hunt for sport. Will contain violence & also some language. Kindly review if read.


For actresses Yuko Moriyama, Aya Hisakawa & Stacie Lynn Renna, who brought the character of Iria to beautiful life

in two live-action films & an anime series (Yuko Moriyama played Iria in the two live-action 'Zeiram' films in 1991

& 1994; Aya Hisakawa did Iria's Japanese voice in the anime, with Stacie Lynn Renna in the English dubbed version).

For directors Keita Amemiya & Tetsuro Amino, who directed 'Zeiram' in the two live-action films & anime series

(Keita Amemiya directed the live-action 'Zeiram' films, with Tetsuro Amino directing the six-episode anime series).

To the loving memory of Award-Winning actor Bill Paxton, who played Jerry Lambert in 1990's 'Predator 2' (Bill

Paxton also played Private Hudson in 1986's 'Aliens', & the leader of a punk trio in 1984's 'The Terminator. He is one

of only two actors to have faced all three sci-fi/horror icons – the Terminator, Alien & Predator – on film, with Lance

Henriksen being the other. Bill Paxton died on February 25th, 2017 from a stroke. He was only 61 years of age).

**IRIA / PREDATOR:**

**TECHNO WAR**

2003, 2019 by Anthony Ogozalek

**CHAPTER I**

_The Planet Myce:_

A peaceful & serene day is the picture for this patch of jungle, with its bright & clear blue skies that have only a limited number of clouds to obscure the golden sunshine that gave the scenery a picture-perfect look to anyone that was lucky enough to be in the vicinity. Birds flew overhead, looking for prey to eat and/or find comfortable areas in nearby trees for nesting & feeding their young. Mai-mai scuppers (rounded ball-like animals with long tails, ears & covered in fur) scamper across the land, doing the same as a few get lucky & snatch an insect before consuming it with its jaws as it creates a crunch, biting into its exoskeleton & swallowing its prize down its throat.

It followed it up by taking a sip of refreshing water to wash its meal down.

The animals were having such a calm day that their senses were quite relaxed as they enjoyed the serenity of it all.

But that still didn't mean they were keeping their guard down.

Such is the case when several of the jungle's wildlife started getting hit with an aura of danger that put them upon high alert in a heartbeat. Each inhabitant – from the smallest insects to the largest mound of flesh & bone – all listened with strong intent as they try to pinpoint the exact location of the disturbance's source.

Once they get it, they'll be sure to steer clear of whatever comes their way, having ample time to seek shelter.

Oddly enough, the animals actually _feel _the danger approaching before they even _see _it, as the ground started to rumble a bit before its intensity rose.

It was followed up by the sound of machinery that intermingled with the rumbling.

Having more than enough warning, the animals began running for cover: whatever was coming their way, they do _not _wish to be present for it.

What began as a peaceful day in the jungle was soon to become a battle zone.

Such is the case when a sizable armada of Krepers – hovercraft that also perform like miniature spaceships – race through the foliage occupied by military men, each one dressed in full combat gear & armed to the teeth with weaponry, from long-barreled guns to survival knives. In the skies above were a flock of men flying in Dempadans – crafts which look like giant umbrellas with a pilot seat & one in the rear for an extra passenger – keeping a literal birds-eye view as each pilot/passenger was also fully armed, ready to take action at a moment's notice.

Having all this armament in a single group, one might think these men were preparing to invade a city or even a village/nearby town.

They'd be wrong on the first guess: what these men were _really _doing is chasing a lone individual that was giving these people a literal run for their money – on foot. What this armada of men were chasing was a humanoid figure that measured a height of over two meters, wearing some sort of body armor that covered several areas upon its person – shins, chest/shoulders & forearms. A metal mask covered its face, & long snakelike 'hair' hung down from behind its head all around, decorated with metal braids. On its back was a harness that is equipped with a mini-cannon.

Currently, this cannon was retracted & not in use.

Sharp claws adorned the thing's five toes & fingers, & its flesh was a sickened peach hue with brown patches.

Metal sandals were placed upon its feet, & this humanoid creature was keeping its mad run through the steaming jungle as the blistering heat of the midday sun continued to bake the landscape of lush vegetation.

For over three miles, this creature has eluded & stayed ahead of them: it tried to disappear using its cloak, but the men were equipped with infrared goggles, enabling it to see the thing as clear as day.

No matter how fast it ran or tried to hide, these men were persistent & stayed on its tail like a cat would do to its prey before making the pounce to capture, kill & consume it.

In the main Kreper – the one that was larger than the others, with an interior domicile – the man in charge of this operation stood proud upon the deck of the hover vehicle & looked straight ahead at the fleeing creature. The man was Caucasian & stood a good six feet tall, being in his mid-40s & sported a straight-up, flattop haircut of blonde hair like most military men sported. Unlike the other men, who were attired in blue uniforms, this one wore red armor that has covered almost everywhere on his body. On his left cheek was a scar that ran from his jawbone to his eye – a wound he wears with utmost pride.

He went by the name of Terenoda, one of the Tedan Tippedai's highest-ranking employees, being second only to Vice President Puttubayh himself & his company executives.

He's a man on a mission – one that is currently trying to escape its pursuers.

_You can run, my friend, but you _still _won't escape us!_, Terenoda thought with an evil smirk. _Before you know it, you'll be ours!_

The driver of the Kreper listened in on his headset, getting several replies from the other crew members.

"Copy that!", he said, turning to his boss. "Mr. Terenoda, sir! The men all agree that we are now within striking distance of our target & are ready to act! You may now begin with the capture operation soon as _you're_ ready!"

"Glad to hear it, soldier. Keep this Kreper steady at all times, no matter what", Terenoda says, picking up a comm & addressing his men. "Attention all troops! This is Terenoda! 'Operation: Capture' is in effect & commences now! I want this creature caught & brought back to base! You may use whatever tools you deem are necessary to accomplish this goal, but remember this one crucial fact – I want it taken _alive!_ _Anyone _who causes its death or damages it too much will answer to _me!_ Understand?"

A chorus of 'yes sir!' was Terenoda's response.

"Good! You may now resume with the operation! Let's capture our prize!"

That said, the men ready their armament to engage in combat with the fleeing creature.

All the men operating the vehicles did exactly that as their passengers from both Krepers & Dempadans aim their weapons at the creature, who was still running at a rapid pace with no sign of letting up or even getting tired. The Scout – as it is his main function when he landed on Myce – sensed danger & heard the sound of guns & many other equipment being cocked & ready for firing.

Game time was about to commence.

A plethora of soldiers – six in all – were the first to act: using non-lethal rounds, they fired a volley of ammunition at Scout, which struck the ground near his feet & creating miniature plumes of dirt & grass where they struck. He puts on an extra burst of speed to keep himself ahead of the volley, but more rounds of rubber ammunition easily caught up with his pace as some even came close to striking his person. Scout cackled through his facemask & changed his course as he took a quick right turn & headed directly into the thick foliage of the jungle, hoping to lose his pursuers within dense vegetation.

Terenoda saw the creature's plan & made moves to adapt quickly to it.

"Shields up!", he ordered.

At the mere push of a button, the cockpits were protected by a translucent diamond-like cover that created a tight securing dome that kept each Kreper's passengers safe from being hit with branches & leaves. Scout's plan was only partly successful: while the dense foliage of the jungle didn't _stop _their relentless pursuit, it _did _slow them down.

_Shit!_, Terenoda beamed furiously. _This damn thing's smarter than it looks!_

"Dempadan crew!", he spoke into his comm. "Are you flying _above _the trees? If so, can you _see_ him?"

"Yes & no, sir!", replied one pilot. "We each caught his plan & soared our rides over the foliage, but we can't see him too clearly within! We're _barely _keeping track of him from our point of view as it is!"

"Don't _lose _him, whatever you do! Half of you stay on his trail! The _rest _of you…get on ahead of & cut him off! This foliage has to end _somewhere_, & when he comes out…_nail him!_"

"Understood, sir!", the pilot answered.

Of the twelve Dempadans, six of them put on extra speed & went ahead of their comrades to go & cut off Scout's escape route as ordered. After two minutes, they reached the end of the jungle in the same trajectory as their target, who was still making his way towards the waiting caravan. Each soldier that wasn't piloting aimed their guns at their quarry, ready to attack upon first sight.

With tense patience, they waited for their opportunity.

The sound of trees getting trampled by the Krepers grew louder by the second.

Unfortunately for them, slowing down the Krepers wasn't Scout's _only _reason for going into the jungle: using his foliage as obstacles was only _part _of his plan, & being obscured within it was the second part which he now commences with. Arming himself with his shoulder cannon followed by a hidden second one, Scout aimed his weapons upon a pair of Dempadans with his targeting systems & launched a pair of blue-white energy projectiles that emerged from right out of the foliage & blasted away two of the hovering vehicles, blowing them into orange fireballs.

Neither pilots nor passengers had time to eject, let alone scream.

Another pair of energy projectiles blew away two more Dempadans, leaving them in flaming ruins.

The fifth Dempadan was blasted from the sky due to the pilot being a little slow, but the sixth & final one put up its crystal shield in time as the energy blast bounced off only a second later, sparing the pilot & crew the same fiery fate as their comrades. It was knocked off-balance & wobbled briefly, but was undamaged.

Getting their bearings, Scout emerged from the dense jungle & resumed his frantic run.

Terenoda & his crew burst out from the jungle themselves, throwing branches & leaves everywhere.

Rejoining their comrades in the sky, the Dempadans resumed their pursuit.

Having lost nearly half of his airborne units, Terenoda was beginning to get restless.

"Second Dempadan squadron, you're up!", he ordered. "Use the high-powered bean bag rifles! Once you get his ass knocked down, the ground squad will then move in & use the tranquilizers & put him to sleep before we close in & _finish _the job!"

"Copy that, sir!", one soldier replied.

Lowering their crystal shields, the men aim their rifles as those flying ahead do the same, doing so downward.

At that same time, Scout was also getting himself armed up: taking out a pair of hand-held silver metal discs, he flicked his wrists once to make each disc protrude six long, curved blades. He does this without even slowing down.

What he does next surprised everyone, including Terenoda: doing a full 360 degree turn, Scout had unleashed his twin discs halfway during his airborne rotation, sending them soaring across the air. One of them was aimed directly at Terenoda's position, soaring through the air like fan propellers. Terenoda stood still, unable to move.

"_Get down, sir!_", shouted the driver, giving the man the push he needed to dive down & avoid getting his head sliced off with ease as the disc passed overhead. It missed Terenoda by only a second.

But while the high-ranking Tedan Tippedai employee was spared a beheading, a few others weren't so fortunate: one of the discs succeeded in its task of slicing another driver's head off, followed by the rest of his crew. The disc that missed Terenoda struck another Kreper driver, cleanly slicing the top of his head off as blood & brains spewed from it before he collapsed. Without a driver, the two Krepers lost control & veered towards & collided with each other, which resulted in an explosion that killed anyone else left aboard. A third Kreper that couldn't stop or veer away in time also crashed into the two vehicles, resulting in another blast that killed everyone aboard.

With hardly any effort, Scout retrieved both his discs in his hands without even slowing in his run or losing any traction.

From the Dempadans above, the passengers fired their high-powered bean bag guns at the creature in a multiple barrage, hoping to get the beast knocked down long enough for their ground troops to complete what they started. With each bean bag fired, a plume of dirt & grass was all they had to show for it, not hitting Scout once.

Even close to a full minute, not one bean bag connected with him.

That was about to change: two soldiers each got in a lucky shot which struck Scout in the back, causing him to briefly lose his balance & nearly falling over. Recovering in time & resuming his run, the soldiers from the Dempadans aimed to fire again when a pair of mini projectiles protruded from the facemask's sides & aimed directly at both of the airborne craft. Both targets were locked-on dead center as they fired an energy blast at each, blowing both aircraft out of the sky & killing its crews of two as they came down in burning wreckage.

A pair of Krepers received the same fate when soldiers from each fired their rubber bullets at the creature, hitting him along the side & back. While they _did _sting, they didn't begin to take him down; a blast from the two mini cannons on his facemask took care of both, killing everyone within.

Other Dempadans & Krepers sped by without so much as a backwards glance at their deceased comrades.

By now, Terenoda was getting angry with his operation, as it was sinking faster than a ship in the water: for all he & his company spent to get the necessary equipment to capture this creature, it was becoming a waste of resources, & Vice President Puttubayh will be even _more _upset about the current failure of this mission.

_Shit!_, Terenoda thought with malice. _Those are some of the company's best men, & that thing's taking them down like they're rank amateurs!_

Unless Terenoda does something to remedy this, his own position at the Tedan Tippedai will be questionable at best, or worse.

_All right, mister – playtime is officially over!_, Terenoda added. _No more pussyfooting around!_

"Miyasha!", he barked, turning to the door that lead to the interior of their Kreper. "_Get _your ass out here – _now!_ And be sure to bring the Borobdin!"

Six seconds later, Miyasha emerged from within with a large rifle slung over his shoulder that had three rotating muzzles at the firing end. Miyasha was the third person on Terenoda's personal Kreper, aside from him & the driver. He stood about close to Terenoda's height, but was shorter by about 2-3 inches. The young man – being about 20-21 years of age – was attired in an olive-green uniform & boots. His hair was dark brown & spiky, looking very much like the top of a palm tree. He had the muscles of an average athlete, & a pretty high intelligence to go with his macho-man physique.

For most of the trip, Terenoda had Miyasha stay below until his assistance was needed.

Now he was about to be useful for the first time on this mission.

Upon laying eyes on the creature, Miyasha stood dumbfounded at it: something stirred within him, a feeling that he hadn't experienced since he was little on a distant planet all those years ago.

It reminded him of that particular time in his life, & a feeling of queasiness erupted inside Miyasha.

"That thing", he started to say. "Is it…?"

"Yes, _that's _our target!", Terenoda barked. "You can admire him _later_, fool! Get that rifle ready & prepare to fire when I say!"

Miyasha does what his boss says & unslung the Borobdin, switching the muzzle to the desired one as he aimed.

"Just you remember, Miyasha!", Terenoda began. "Our main objective in this mission is _not _to kill, so don't fire that powerful a blast which might cause the thing any…"

Miyasha barely even hears his boss' words: squeezing the trigger on the Borobdin, a thick beam of blue-white energy shoots from his weapon & heads straight for Scout. The beam hits the spot of dirt & grass between his feet with such great force, the monster is lifted fifteen feet in the air as if thrown by a giant hand before getting tossed twenty feet forward & landing hard with a tumbling roll.

All vehicles stopped in their plight, only twelve feet away from the fallen creature.

When Terenoda's mind absorbed what just happened, he became furious & turned to the one responsible.

"What the _fuck _do you think you're _doing_, Miyasha?!", he screamed, grabbing his weapon & taking it away from him. "Didn't I just _tell _you that our objective _wasn't _to _kill _the damn thing, but to _capture _it?! _What_ fucking part of my instructions was _unclear?!_"

Giving himself a quick glance at the fallen creature, Terenoda sees the thing rising up from the unexpected hit.

Much as he wants to pound the shit out of Miyasha for his insubordination, Terenoda puts his anger aside for the moment to concentrate on the task at hand.

It was now or never.

"We'll discuss this _later_, Miyasha!", Terenoda warns, turning back to the Scout & getting on his comm. "Well, what _are _you fools _waiting _for?! Move in & _surround _it while it's still stunned! Don't give it a chance to resume its run or use any more of its toys!"

Abandoning their vehicles, the soldiers race ahead to move in on the creature, who was back upon his feet. From each of his two forearm cuffs, a pair of jagged wrist blades emerged before the creature spread his arms & bellowed out a boisterous roar, indicating that he _welcomes _the rush of attackers.

Scout was _not _disappointed: like a living tidal wave, the armada of soldiers rushed in as they shouted their own battle cry doing so. A few men shot their rifles of rubber bullets, giving their comrades an opening to attack the creature while being temporarily off-balance. It was a half-successful attempt: even though several men got within the creature's vicinity & even tackled him, many more paid the ultimate price as Scout stabbed & sliced men left & right, each one falling down to the ground in puddles of blood; one got blades jammed into his forehead; another received a slit throat, causing him to gurgle on his own blood as he collapsed; one got a double incision from sternum to throat as his insides spilled across the landscape; another became decapitated as his head rolled sixteen feet away.

A pair of soldiers each used a taser upon the creature, giving him a shock that arced across his body & stiffening his muscles while he let out an animalistic roar. The barrage kept up until Scout took one of the tasers & yanked it out of the man's hands before jamming it through his midsection. He screamed as the electricity roasted him from the inside as he felt like he was in an oven.

He was dead before he fell to the ground.

With the other taser man, the creature rammed it into his head as his eyes burst like a pair of miniature balloons, spewing blood & veins briefly before his head exploded like a melon & his body collapsed.

Right after the man's head blew to pieces, one soldier shot the creature with a dart gun that got embedded in his flesh, causing him to growl in pain & disapproval. His reward was a quick decapitation before another man grabbed the weapon & gave him another quick jolt.

Not wanting any more lives lost, the men backed away from the creature as he got to his feet, ready to fight until the end. But by now, his strength was quickly ebbing away as he had trouble standing, his body feeling like it gained a hundred pounds or more & unable to keep himself up. Even his vision was going wonky, seeing distorted images.

Seeing their moment, one of Terenoda's men gets his gun & fires at the creature, the weapon launching a large clamp that ensnared his arms to his sides. Firing again, the man did the same with the creature's legs twice, making it all but difficult for Scout to remain standing any longer despite his fierce resistance.

Overpowered by the tranquilizer he was shot with coupled by his restraints, Scout succumbed to his fate & fell to the ground with a heavy thud, ceasing all movements except for his breathing.

Grins of triumph erupted on the faces of the men, seeing their success.

"Sweet dreams, buster", said the man that shot the clamp gun right before getting on his comm. "Good news, Mr. Terenoda: despite the difficulties that we've all suffered, our target is secure. He's been both restrained & tranquilized, sleeping like a baby. Trust me, sir, he ain't going _anywhere_…except back to base!"

"Excellent work!", Terenoda replied into his own comm. "Bring our 'guest' over to one of the Krepers & make absolutely _certain _he's properly secured. Then take him over to the facility & into Professor Kouza's laboratory, where he'll have a special containment chamber to put him in. He'll be _very _pleased when he sees what _we've _caught!"

"Roger _that_, sir!"

While the men get busy with getting the Scout back to the Kreper, the driver in Terenoda's own vehicle listened intently on his headset to a message being delivered to him.

"Yes sir, I'll notify him immediately", he said.

"Who was that?", Terenoda asked.

"It was Vice President Puttubayh, sir. He wants an update on your progress as soon as you're able to give him one."

That info was surprising but not unexpected: Puttubayh was just as eager to get a progress report on the situation as Terenoda was in getting what they set out for ever since one of their craft had been detected by the Tedan Tippedai's radar as it approached Myce only a few days ago before Terenoda & his party finally caught up with it.

Luckily, they'll _both _get what they asked for on this day.

"I understand", Terenoda says. "Let Puttubayh know that the mission is a success, & that I'll contact him once we get back to the facility."

The driver nodded & got on the radio to relay his boss' message.

Terenoda then turned his gaze to Miyasha with angry eyes, getting within inches to his face.

"Don't think for a _second _that this victory of ours will let me forget your foolish act from before, dear boy!", he spoke with venom in his voice. "Once we get back & my business with Mr. Puttubayh is finished, you & I are going to have ourselves a little chat! Now…get your ass right back inside & don't say _anything _for the entire trip back!"

In complete silence, Miyasha did what he was told & disappeared in the Kreper's interior.

His attention now turned to his men carry the creature back to a waiting Kreper & tightly securing it via his orders, Terenoda waited until they were all but completed before ordering his driver to take them back to their stronghold. The other remaining Krepers & Dempadans follow suit & stay close to their boss' ride. Down below in Terenoda's inner domicile, Miyasha gets this uneasy feeling in his stomach that won't go away, having been there ever since he'd seen Scout when he came topside.

A million things went through his mind as he sat there: what _was _that thing? Why did Terenoda want it so badly? How could it _possibly _serve any purpose to the Tedan Tippedai Corporation?

But the most _important _question he wanted to answer was this: why did that thing seem…_familiar _somehow?

His mind was like a fog bank that wouldn't lift, & it bothered him more than what he feared Terenoda will do to him once they get back to base.

Despite the mission being over, the rest of this day wasn't.

For Miyasha, it was going to get a lot worse for him.

_Hours later, at a secluded facility:_

The rest of the day _was _a bustling of activity.

Upon arriving, the men carried out the rest of Terenoda's order to bring their captured prize over to Professor Kouza's lab, who awaited its arrival like a giddy child getting a present. As for Miyasha, he was getting treated like a child that misbehaved & sent to his room: Terenoda ordered him to go directly there immediately without stopping for even a simple bite to eat, lest he suffered worse consequences. Miyasha wasn't too worried about not eating: his room was equipped with a mini fridge & cabinet that held various foods in case he had to work late in his room & couldn't make it to the facility's cafeteria.

After he showered thoroughly, he ate almost like there was no tomorrow.

Terenoda also had the brief luxury of washing himself & getting a quick bite before making his progress report to Puttubayh, sitting alone in a room with a large monitor that showed not just the Vice President of the Tedan Tippedai, but also his company executives. With precision, Terenoda explained the situation to his superiors as they absorbed all his words like a sponge would do with water.

Once Terenoda was finished giving his report, Puttubayh & his execs sat & stared at the high-ranking official in utter, eerie silence. It made Terenoda nervous: in all of Planet Myce (or anywhere _else_, for that matter), Puttubayh & his execs were the _only_ people that could scare Terenoda to the very core of his being.

For _very _good reason.

If he had a choice between facing his superiors & their captured prisoner, Terenoda wouldn't hesitate in choosing the latter.

Nervous & scared as he was, Terenoda stood his ground & played it like a pro.

Finally, Puttubayh broke the eerie silence as he spoke on the large monitor.

"_I suppose _some _congratulations _are _in order, Terenoda: you captured what we've sought to get our hands on for quite some time since we've discovered their existence years ago. But I won't beat around the bush about something: successful results aside, my executives & I are _not _very happy at the moment. While you _did _succeed in capturing this creature, this 'Yautja', as they have been classified as, one of your associates _almost _succeeding in _killing _what we've been eager to capture for so long. I don't think _any _of us needs to remind you of the _essential importance _of this operation we're engaged in, Mr. Terenoda…_especially _since the Zeiram project had been a bust only last year._"

Puttubayh & the exceutives stayed silent to allow Terenoda to absorb the gravity of his position.

"_So…have you anything to _say _in your defense, Terenoda?_", an exec asks.

"Believe me when I say that I am _fully _aware of how important this operation is to the company, as it could be the _only _thing that can possibly save it from bankruptcy", he began. "The unfortunate mishap that my associate Miyasha caused during the operation _was _an unexpected error. I'd never suspected he would so recklessly cause an incident that might jeopardize this whole ordeal. And for _that_, I humbly apologize."

"_Apologies won't _nearly _be enough, Mr. Terenoda_", said another executive. "_We've invested _too much _into this for it to be ruined by mere incompetence by anyone on your payroll…or even _ours_, for that matter. We'd like to know what will be _done _so that further incidents like the one that occurred today _won't _be repeated in the future._"

"You can all rest assured that I shall be _dealing _with the matter…thoroughly & personally."

"_See that you _do_, Terenoda_", Puttubayh says, giving him the bottom line. "_You've shown great promise to the Tedan Tippedai since before & after the Zeiram Project had went kaput. There can be no doubt of your performance in our organization, as the work speaks for itself. Continue with the assignment we've entrusted to you & your people, but remember…despite your talents, we won't _tolerate _any failures or sloppiness from this moment on. Any that gets caused by any & _all _responsible parties will be _removed _from the equation without question. Keep in mind, Terenoda – _no one _within our organization is irreplaceable. Not even you._"

Terenoda's heart skipped a beat before he answered.

"Understood."

"_Very well. Carry out your assignments_", Puttubayh said.

"Yes sir."

The monitor went dark before another word could be said on either side.

For a few moments, Terenoda was left in the dark before the lights returned in the room.

He gave himself a while to get his nerves settled before rising from his seat & exited the room.

_Terenoda's office:_

Once the meeting was over, Terenoda headed directly for his soundproof office & called for Miyasha.

As soon as Miyasha had entered the room & the door was closed, Terenoda didn't _try_ to hide his disappointment _or _his anger to the young man: rushing up to him, he grabbed Miyasha by the lapels of his shirt & roughly slammed him against the wall, keeping him pinned there.

"_You fucking STUPID son of a BITCH!_", Terenoda shouted, giving Miyasha another hard slam against the wall. "Your little _stunt _earlier had almost cost us an entire day's _work_, not to mention that you nearly fucked up this whole operation & put not just _us _in jeopardy, but the entire Tedan Tippedai _organization itself!_ Vice President Puttubayh & the executives were all _breathing down my fucking neck _trying to figure out what went the hell wrong when you made that foolish & irresponsible move! What the _fuck _were you _thinking _of, Miyasha?!"

"T-Terenoda, _please!_", Miyasha pleaded. "What I _did _back there was never _intentional! _It was no more than an _accident_, I _swear_ to you! I didn't know that my rifle would cause such a devastating blast when I fired at…"

"Didn't know?! _Didn't KNOW?!_ I find that _very _hard to believe, Miyasha, considering you're one of our _weapons & tech experts! How _could you have made such a screw-up with your weapon like that when you can practically take a gun apart & reassemble it _blindfolded?! _Care to explain _that?!_"

"Look, I…I just forgot to _check _my gun's preferred ammunition! _Honest!_ It was no more than an absent-minded _mistake! _I know that's no _excuse _for it, sir, but…"

"You're _goddamned right _there's no excuse for it, mister! You should've been _certain _about the ammunition you were using to subdue that creature! Instead, you nearly _blew it up _& all its tech with that bullshit stunt of yours!"

"But I _didn't_, sir! Yes, it _was _irresponsible & reckless, I'll _certainly _give you that! No way will I attempt to _deny _it! Still, even _you _have to admit that despite my slight error, the mission _did _become a _success _in the end! You _got _what you _wanted_, _and _the operation can still proceed as planned! Surely in _this _case, the ends justify the means, does it not, sir?"

Terenoda stared at Miyasha with a face that was hard as stone for several seconds before he finally releases him, violently throwing him to one side. Miyasha stumbled a bit, but was able to stay on his feet.

"_That_, Miyasha, is the _only _reason as to why I'm _not _beating the living _shit _out of you right this very minute!", Terenoda warned. "But _don't _push me to it!"

"No sir, I won't", Miyasha replied. "And you can rest assured that the error I caused before…it _won't _happen again."

Terenoda's face lit up, but it wasn't in a good way.

"On _that_, my boy Miyasha, we can _definitely _agree!", he says, pointing at him. "I'm _sure _you recall that I clearly mentioned anyone who either kills that creature _or _causes it too much damage would answer to me, & I _meant _it! As of right now, effective immediately, Miyasha, you are hereby _suspended _from this operation without pay indefinitely until further notice! While you are _very _fortunate that you neither killed our prize _or _damaged any of its equipment, I will _not_ have you jeopardizing this operation any more than you already have! Therefore, I'm giving you until _midnight _to clear out your room & take your Kreper _away _from here! And I suggest you _not _be a second late, because if I see you anyplace _in _or even _near _this goddamn facility after your deadline is up…"

"Yes, I _get _the _picture _already!", Miyasha said, cutting him off.

A surge of anger rose up in Terenoda, wanting to strangle Miyasha for rudely cutting him off in mid-sentence – something _nobody _does to him, sans Vice President Puttubayh & his executives. He quickly & mentally counted to ten to get himself under control: Miyasha _is _leaving the facility, so Terenoda decided to let his little insubordination pass.

_This _time.

"Then I _suggest _that you get _started_, junior!", Terenoda snaps, pointing to the door.

Not wanting to suffer any more of his boss' rage, Miyasha makes his way towards the door & exits his office, all but _happy _to be out of the same room as him & away from his presence. Seeing that creature out in the field really did a number on Miyasha, his mind racing a mile a minute as the fog which infested within was now becoming more clearer.

_Don't worry, Terenoda, I _am _leaving…but _not _because you _said _so!_, Miyasha thought, his own rage within rising. _And mark my words that I _will _return, & when I do…it _won't _be pretty!_

A plan forming in his head, Miyasha ran towards his room to get it set in motion.

_Professor Kouza's laboratory:_

Miyasha was finished emptying out his room & out of the facility fifteen minutes before his deadline was up, but not before Terenoda gave him a strict warning that should he reveal anything of what he saw or even the facility itself, he would send in highly-trained assassins to put him beneath the ground…and he'd _never _see it coming.

Miyasha's answer to his boss was a hard stare & silence before racing off in his Kreper.

With the nuisance handled & gone from the facility, Terenoda now turned to more _important_ matters.

Heading towards Kouza's lab, he puts on a white lab coat as he enters & approaches the man himself, who was dressed in the same attire & appeared to be in his mid-50s with a full head of white hair & stood about the same height as Terenoda. Kouza was standing next to a table with a large device that resembled something like a microscope, having a monitor to see the results of the objects being displayed & a door underneath for placing them into in order for them to be scammed & examined. Also on this large table were various weapons & gadgets they've confiscated from Scout: everything from two different kinds of razor discs to his metal facemask were all laid out in plain sight.

For Terenoda & Kouza, it was like finding a treasure trove – one that was worth _millions_.

"So, Professor Kouza…what's the verdict?", Terenoda asked.

"For starters, truly _remarkable_, Mr. Terenoda!", Kouza replied like a happy child. "This alien technology is even _more _impressive than I could _ever _imagine: so simple in design, yet on a scale & level that goes beyond even our _own _capabilities! With _this _ordnance in our possession, just _think _of the infinite possibilities that we can accomplish!"

"Exactly what we plan on _doing _with its high-tech toys, Professor. But what I actually _meant _was…is this alien equipment still operational?"

"Yes. Despite that fool Miyasha's idiotic act, all of it is still in perfect working order as they should be. Which is _very _fortunate, for Vice President Puttubayh & the high executives of the Tedan Tippedai invested a _lot _of money into this operation & expect nothing less than positive results. If another mishap like Miyasha's 'accident' earlier _does _occur again…"

"You needn't worry yourself about that, Kouza: Miyasha will _no longer _be a problem, as I've personally seen to it. Now, the big question is…_can _this equipment we snagged from the creature be in any way, shape or form be copied and/or amplified to suit our needs?"

"I'll need some time to give a complete & thorough analysis of this tech, but truth be told, I don't see any reason as to why it _can't_ be."

"How much time do you need, Kouza? I'll need to give Puttubayh an exact calculation."

"I'd say about a full week at most. Then, after I collect all the necessary data, I can start on creating a prototype. With the technology & personnel we have at this facility, I'd give it about a full three weeks to make a complete working prototype to be tested. Should it perform successfully, we can then begin mass production on & equip our soldiers with weaponry & tech that will revolutionize combat forever. _Think_ of it, Terenoda: within the first year alone, the profits of our new toys would _skyrocket_…"

"And the Tedan Tippedai will become an even _greater_ power on Myce than it ever was before! And we owe it all to our alien friend, who decided to pay our planet a visit! How _is _our 'guest' doing since we brought him in, anyway?"

"Why not see for yourself?"

Kouza presses a button at a nearby station which causes a portion of the wall on the far left side to rise up into the ceiling to reveal a 12-foot-wide window that illuminates the room further. On the other side of the glass is a rather lush miniature jungle, complete with grass, bushes & even a few trees that were more than large enough to go climbing in. Also occupying this open area that was 40 feet long, 20 feet wide & 30 feet high from ground to ceiling was Scout himself, stripped of all his weapons & armor except for just his loincloth & showing his crab-like face in all its hideous glory. Inside is a temperature of near 100 degrees Fahrenheit – weather in which the creature appears to thrive on.

Hearing the metal shielding rise up & displaying the laboratory on the other side of the glass that separated both rooms from one another, the creature opened his mouth like some horrid flower & cackled before jumping down from his perch in a tree & approaching the glass to see Terenoda & Kouza staring back at it with delight.

Watching the humans back with curiosity along with contempt, Scout worked his mandibles like he was about to go on the offensive & do something drastic. In the wink of an eye, the creature bellowed a boisterous roar that echoed throughout the makeshift jungle before he raised his fists & banged on the glass with enough force to make them vibrate.

Only slightly.

Scout had kept on banging on the glass repeatedly with amazing strength, only to have the glass stay strong/solid without so much as a scratch on it.

Neither Terenoda nor Kouza were frightened or intimidated by its efforts.

In fact, they were mildly amused by its attempt. Mildly.

"_Forget it_, creature!", Kouza said defiantly. "We've built this containment center to make _certain _that you cannot escape from it! You'll break your _hands _long before you'll break that _glass!_ Therefore, I would advise for you to settle down & learn to _enjoy _our…hospitality!"

Both Kouza & Terenoda share a chuckle of amusement as the creature does indeed cease its attempts to break out of its new home.

"_You_, our alien friend, are going to make us all _very _rich & powerful!", Terenoda adds. "Just you wait!"

Staring at the two men with malice, Scout cackled angrily briefly before turning tail & headed right back into the foliage of the makeshift jungle he was thrown into. Much as he wanted his freedom & regain what was taken from him, the creature learned how to be patient: he will play out the scenario for as long as it takes, studying everything he takes in & calculate a plan to escape. Once he does, he vows to make these two humans & everyone involved in his capture suffer for their treatment of him, from firing at him to stuffing him in this sultry prison.

Sooner or later, they _will _make a fatal mistake, & when they do, he will make they pay.

His prey will be _very _sorry they _ever_ messed with him.

**CHAPTER II**

_High above Planet Myce, one month later:_

Their flight through the depths of space was a long & arduous one, having traveled from one end to the other in reaching their destination. Each occupant was eager & anxious to make planetfall & begin their hunt, their weapons all poised & ready to do some killing & collecting a couple trophies. But on _this _particular trip, it was _more _than a simple hunt/safari.

It was more or less a mission to set things right, as a great injustice has been committed by the planet's occupants.

Their goal was to find the perpetrators, undo the damage that's been done, & make those responsible pay.

Of course, it _still _doesn't mean that they cannot mix a little…_pleasure _with their business.

Even on a mission that's mostly business, a righteous kill here & there is _never_ too far away.

Setting coordinates for a landing, the pilots take their craft downward to the planet below.

Their ship glows as it hits the atmosphere, turning the front end red-hot even with an activated cloak.

It will reach planetfall in under an hour.

_Myce's capital city, late morning:_

Even after 13 months, the people of Myce – particularly in its Capital City – were still reeling & suffering from all the destruction & mayhem caused by the horrific bio-weapon known as Zeiram, the nearly indestructible creature which invaded the city along with his army of similarly-engineered monsters – each of which were spawned by Zeiram himself. With his vast army of creatures, Zeiram laid waste to many areas of the city – from Tanjekabaran to Surabaya – in an attack that left thousands dead; some were whole, others ripped to pieces.

Many agreed that the city would've been leveled for certain, had it not been for the quick thinking of the city's defense force, as they successfully teleported the creatures far away via giant TranSat Gates that were set up at the area where the infestation was at its worst, up to & including Zeiram himself.

The devastation was worse than anyone ever expected, & people are still trying to make the most of their lives in Myce's Capital City, setting up emergency shelters & assisting everyone that have lost homes/businesses and/or family members. Rebuilding was also a massive chore in restoring the city to its former glory, but while a good portion had been repaired, there was still an _awful lot _of reconstruction to handle.

With the valiant efforts of diligent citizens working alongside construction crews, the progress _is _moving along even if they have quite a ways to go.

But while _most _of the citizens were keen on helping out their fellow man, there were _some _that were only keen on helping themselves.

Such is the case on this day when a single individual ran frantically through the city streets with a big sack full of kem (money) he'd stolen from one of the banks in a daring raid, killing a guard that'd brazenly but foolishly tried to stop him on his own, followed by three citizens that attempted to make an escape to alert the authorities. With the bank's inhabitants too scared to do anything but breathe, everyone stayed quiet & still while the tellers emptied thousands of kem into his sack before taking off like a shot.

His name is Sim, & he was a member of another known fugitive that's been granted an early parole – one that's been granted by one of Zeiram's monsters during their rampage throughout the city when they crashed into one of the prison facilities, setting a number of prisoners free but killing even more.

Sim was one of the lucky ones along with several others, & for the past 13 months, they've been hiding from the authorities & bounty hunters since.

But not today.

Only a few minutes after Sim committed the robbery, he was pursued by a lone female individual attired in blue clothing underneath her white armor that covers her most everywhere. Her hair was brown in color & spiked, like that of a palm tree. A pair of beautiful brown eyes matched in conjunction with her hair, & several colored braids hung from the left side of her hair, indicating her rank. A large rifle was slung across her shoulder behind her back, & in her right hand was a lone pistol, fully loaded.

The female chasing Sim was none other than Iria – a full-fledged bounty hunter who used to work alongside her older brother Gren & fought the bio-monster Zeiram, surviving the encounter.

Now she was going after Sim to not only put him back with all the _other _escaped prisoners, but to also get her hands on the one who always pulled his strings – a creep she once caught for holding two girls hostage before one of her associates Fujikuro came by & snatched her bounty away.

_Sorry, Fujikuro…not _this _time!_, Iria thought.

"Give it _up_, Sim – you're _not _getting away from _me!_", Iria shouted to the fleeing suspect.

"How much do you want to _bet _on that, apprentice?!", Sim barked back, firing his gun behind him in hopes that he hits his pursuer.

Each of his shots missed Iria, if only by a few inches.

_So you want to play hardball, Sim?_, Iria thought, unslinging her rifle. _Well…_two _can play at _that _game!_

Cocking her rifle even as she was running, Iria aimed & fired a shot that went past Sim's left ear & came awfully close to actually hitting it. It was more than enough to get him to halt in his tracks & turn around to face his pursuer.

Iria aimed her weapon at Sim, ordering him to drop his gun & raise his hands, both of which he does.

"You just stay _right _where you are, Sim!", she said sternly. "My _next _shot _won't _miss if you force me to shoot for _any _reason! Now…_you're _going to tell me where your boss _Nanpaa _is! I _know _you two work together!"

Taking a quick look at his immediate surroundings – some buildings that were damaged by the attack of Zeiram's monsters – Sim gave Iria a wicked smile.

"I've only got _one _thing to say to _you_, little girl!", Sim said, confusing Iria. When next he spoke, it was at the top of his lungs. "_Bounty hunter at one o'clock!_"

All it took was the sounds of guns cocking to get Iria to take cover right before a volley of bullets started to soar through the air, many of them hitting the spot where Iria was only a split-second ago. Taking cover behind a thick stone wall, Iria carefully checked her targets' positions without taking a bullet: she spotted multiple assailants from both the ground & upper levels of the ruined husks, pinpointing their exact locations.

Iria simply needed to wait until they either ran out of ammunition or for a slight pause in the hail of bullets.

The latter was the scenario that occurred first, but Iria gladly took it: her rifle ready, she leaped out of her hiding place & began firing her weapon at her assailants with precise aiming & scoring a bullseye every time. One by one, her would-be killers were falling like dominoes as enemies were getting fewer in number & Iria made sure not to get hit by those who were still using her for target practice. She didn't give them any time or chance to escape the premises either: for each assailant that took a shot at her, Iria put them down like a rabid animal before they could make a break for it when they saw that their bullets weren't hitting their would-be prey, let alone slow her down.

Before they knew it, they were all dealt with & lying on the ground in puddles of their own blood.

From the safety of his hiding place, Sim watched as Iria faced off against her attackers, hoping to see her riddled with bullets & lying dead.

Instead, his hopes were dashed in the blink of an eye as Iria brought down an entire armada of street thugs.

And in just under two minutes!

Now he was staring at an irritated, pissed-off Iria.

He wasn't going to stick around to suffer her wrath: he turned tail & ran as fast as he could.

It didn't do him any good: Iria immediately gave chase & caught up to Sim before he even knew it, knocking him down face-first to the ground & placing her foot on his back.

"So, Sim…are you ready to _talk _to me now?", Iria asked fiercely. "Or do I have to get _rough?_"

While she was talking, Sim pulled out a large knife hidden from within his right sleeve & turned around to try & slash Iria's ankle. The bounty hunter caught the movement in time & moved her foot out of the way in time, giving Sim the time he needed to get back on his feet. He knew he wasn't going to simply escape from Iria in a running match, so he's determined to take her down first.

Like an animal that's wounded or cornered, Sim came at Iria with his knife, slashing away at his enemy. Iria used her speed/reflexes to dodge Sim's weapon, even blocking it with her armor on occasion. Sim also swung a fist with his free hand & kicked when he had the chance, making Iria's task more difficult. She had to admit: for a small-time hood & apprentice to Nanpaa, he sure fought pretty well as he's giving the high-class bounty hunter a good workout.

But Iria didn't get to where she is now by her feminine charm: because of rigorous training by her older brother Gren, she proved she can dance with the best of them, & in _this _particular brawl, Sim was about to find out just how well Gren trained her younger sibling.

Catching Sim's arm underneath her own, Iria gave his a twist in a painful maneuver that caused him to cry out in pain & drop his weapon. He tried to counteract with a punch, but Iria put the brakes to _that _notion by slamming him up against a wall & putting his arm behind him.

With his arm out of commission, Sim had no chance of fighting back, much less fleeing.

"I'm _only_ going to ask _one _more time, asshole! _Where's Nanpaa?!_", Iria barked.

Even in his position, Sim wasn't giving in easily. He refuses to answer.

Iria twisted his arm & made him cry out in pain.

"_Ow! _Stop it, man, you're breaking my _arm!_", Sim whined.

"Tell me what I want to know _right now_, or _this _shit is _just _the beginning!", Iria demanded.

"I-I can't _do_ that, man! He'll _kill _me if I ever reveal where – _aaahhh!_"

"I'll _save _him the _trouble_…but _not _before I break a couple of _bones _first!"

To prove her point, Iria twisted Sim's arm to a position that was _really _painful. Sim tried to resist & fight through the pain Iria was inflicting upon him, but in no time it became too much even for him to handle.

"Okay! _Okay_, I'll talk!", Sim relents, getting slight release from the pain. "Nanpaa's holding out in one of the old buildings in the southern part of the city – the ones that are scheduled to be torn down in just a few weeks' time!"

"_Now _we're _getting _somewhere!", Iria says. "Is he alone with you, or does he have any _more _men with him? And how well-armed is he if it's the latter?"

"Aside from me, he's holed up with five more men who also broke out of the holding pens when all the shit with Zeiram went down last year – _all _of them armed to the _teeth!_"

"Which building _are _they holed up in? I need an _exact _address!"

Sim was quick with a response as Iria absorbed the information like a sponge does with water.

Iria finally releases Sim's arm, who rubs it where it's sore the most.

"Good boy, Sim!", Iria announced. "Now you can _sleep_ it off…"

Before Sim could ponder on what Iria meant, the bounty huntress gave the man a hard right fist to his face that knocked the man down to the ground, unconscious.

"But within a _holding cell_, that is!", Iria finished before calling upon her partner Bob.

From Iria's gauntlet behind her left hand, a holographic image of a pair of yellow cones with what looked like a pink eyeball in between them emerged. This image is the reincarnation of her one-time partner & boss Bob, who died while on the mission with Iria & her older brother Gren when they were assigned to rescue people from the Karma – a space station that was run/owned by the Tedan Tippedai company & was overseeing the Zeiram project in order to go harness the power of the seemingly indestructible monster for their bio-weapons division.

Aside from the civilians aboard the station, only Iria survived intact.

Bob's consciousness was downloaded into a computer program & held captive by the Tedan Tippedai until Iria stormed the building & released him, becoming reunited once again.

Now he's serving Iria in miniature form on her hand gauntlet whenever she's out in the field, & also on computer and/or television screens when one is available.

"Did you get all that, Bob?", Iria asked.

"_As if I was standing next to you inside my original body, Iria_", he replied in his mechanized voice. "_I've already notified the authorities on Sim's whereabouts for pickup, plus I have the quickest route we can take to get to Nanpaa's hiding place._"

In the blink of an eye, Bob displayed a holographic map that showed exactly what he promised.

"Just as I thought: that's not far from here at all, Bob. We can get there in five minutes on foot!", Iria said.

"_That we can_", Bob said. "_I've also informed Fujikuro on Nanpaa's location, & he's agreed to join us on this…_"

The mere mentioning of Fujikuro made Iria's blood boil.

"Bob…you _didn't!_", she says in protest.

"_Of __**course**__ I did, Iria_", Bob mentioned. "_Fujikuro wants these guys caught & brought back to their cells as much as you or I do. Besides, being a bounty hunter himself, __**he**__ has as much right to apprehend these people as us. That's __**his**__ job, just like it is ours. Won't you trust me on this?_"

"_You _I trust completely! Fujikuro – that's _another _story! I _trust _that guy about as far as I can _throw _him, which _isn't _all that far to _begin _with!"

"_Iria…_"

"Bob, Fujikuro is nothing but a big show-off: he _always _waits for the opportunity to upstage & embarrass me at every chance presented to him! He's _always _had it in for me since I fucking _became _a bounty hunter! All _he _ever cares about is how much _money _he can stuff into his pockets! Sometimes, _he's _worsethan the Tedan Tippedai!"

"_Iria, listen to me for a moment: Fujikuro __**may**__ be a little…obnoxious, hard to work with & even hard to __**like**__ at times, but he __**is**__ good at what he does, just as you are. I've known him for a __**long**__ time, & while his methods __**might**__ be unorthodox here & there, he's someone you'd __**want**__ at your side to get you out of a scuffle when you're in it deep. Just this once…can't we __**all**__ act as a team & apprehend Nanpaa & his men as one?_"

Iria has many things she'd like to add about Fujikuro, & she can vividly remember when he snatched Nanpaa – _her _bounty – when he kidnapped a pair of girls & held them for ransom. The fiasco with Zeiram was no different, & it drove Iria mad whenever she thinks of sharing assignments with a guy who's about as reckless as those he's scheduled in apprehending.

But part of what Bob said _is _true: Fujikuro _did _become a big assist when they were wanted by the Tedan Tippedai in their cover-up of the accident at the Karma, & when Zeiram's horrid creations attacked the city, Fujikuro fought both tooth & nail to drop as many as he could before the nightmare ended.

She can respect that in _anyone_…even in Fujikuro, who has a few screws loose in his head.

If Bob really wants Fujikuro in on the apprehension of Nanpaa for the second time, Iria will honor his decision.

"All right, Bob", she relents. "I'll accept Fujikuro's assistance…but he better not be late!"

"_Once we get there, we'll wait five minutes before moving in…with or without Fujikuro_", Bob replied.

Iria smiled at the idea.

"I can live with that", she says. "Now let's get a move-on & arrive before _he _does & tries to claim the bounty for himself…again!"

"_Hold on, Iria…what about __**Sim**__ over here?_", Bob asked, indicating the unconscious man on the ground.

"Take it from me, Bob…_he's _not going _anywhere!_", Iria says as she took off in the direction of their destination Bob's map indicated.

Unbeknownst to all, a lone figure watched from atop a nearby building, completely hidden within his cloak which made his appearance no more than a distorted blur to those with the keenest of eyes. In his Yautja tongue, he is known as Eagle, as his vision is more advanced than most others of his race & can spot a target from many meters away. From Iria's pursuit of Sim to her shootout with the street hoodlums & knocking her opponent out with a single blow, Eagle saw everything occur & was highly impressed by Iria's performance – a most astonishing specimen of human, even for a female.

Watching & listening in on Iria's conversation, Eagle saw them take off in a southern direction on foot when the discussion ended.

"…_Iria_…", he repeated in an exact imitation of Bob's voice before letting out a little cackle.

Staying in his cloak, Eagle followed Iria in complete stealth.

_Nine minutes later:_

Like Iria surmised, she reached her destination in exactly five minutes before summoning Bob from her gauntlet.

For the next four minutes, they waited patiently for any sign of movement from Nanpaa's hiding place: a room in an apartment complex scheduled to be torn down along with the other run-down buildings in this particular part of the city for renovation, especially when it suffered heavy damage from the assault of Zeiram's monsters.

Neither Iria nor Bob have seen or even heard any sign of Nanpaa or his accomplices in all that time.

"Fujikuro's time is almost up", Iria says. "In less than a minute, Bob, I'm moving in. Are you _sure _you can't take a peek inside their hideout?"

"_I'm afraid not, Iria_", Bob replied. "_I can find no trace of a monitor screen or even a radio transceiver to enter & look around or even listen in on their conversations. Then again, these old buildings __**are**__ scheduled for demolition. It could be that the original tenants cleared out with all their personal belongings when they got the notices, or…_"

"Or Nanpaa _made sure _there was nothing you could hack yourself into & spy on them, keeping themselves in a complete stasis of isolation. He isn't _stupid_, I'll give him _that _much."

"_We'll just have to wait until the minute is up & storm their hideout…__**if**__ Sim was telling you the __**truth**__ before._"

Iria smiled.

"Trust me, Bob: Sim _knows _better than to lie to _me_, of all people", she says. "I _can _be very _persuasive_."

Bob couldn't suppress a chuckle.

"_That you can, Iria_", he says. "_Get ready – we're moving in thirty seconds._"

"Right", Iria said, raising her gun.

_Better move your ass if you want in on this bounty, Fujikuro!_, Iria thought. _The clock's ticking!_

From their hideout twelve stories up, Nanpaa & his crew of five were checking their guns & gear. Like Sim told Iria, they _were _armed to the teeth: not only were they packing some serious heat with firearms & plenty of ammunition, each hoodlum also has an array of knives & other sharp weapons for close-quartet combat with blades that can cut even glass. The men were even packing several miniature grenades that can take out a small building with ease.

"So far so good, Nanpaa!", said one hoodlum. "Since we got our 'early parole' last year when all those creatures attacked, we've stayed one step ahead of the authorities & even made some decent scores along the way! Not bad!"

"Yeah, remind me to _thank _Zeiram for our newfound freedom these past thirteen months!", said another, getting laughs from most men.

"While we may have been lucky this far, gentlemen, let's not get ourselves too cocky or overconfident!", Nanpaa said, cutting in. "The authorities _still _haven't given up on us, & at this point they're probably ordered to shoot to kill us on sight for having evaded capture for this long, so keep it together!"

Nanpaa's statement shut the men up immediately.

"Taz, any word from Sim yet?", Nanpaa asked. "He's been out of contact for too long!"

"Not a peep out of him for close to an hour, boss", Taz replied, lowering his communicator. "You don't suppose he's been _caught_, do you? If he gives away our location, we're most likely _fucked_."

"Sim wouldn't _dare _rat me out: he _knows _what I'll do to him – or to any of _you _– if he does! Keep trying to reach him, Taz: if he's _still_ not responsive in five minutes, then leave him a message stating that he'll be cut loose, & if the _authorities _don't put him down, then _we will!_ You all _knew _the deal & the conditions of joining up with me!"

The men nodded wordlessly, indicating they understood the consequences for sloppiness of any kind.

On a rooftop across the building where Nanpaa & his crew were held up, Eagle watched & waited for the moment to strike.

Taz relayed his instructions on his comm to Sim before ending the message & putting his device away.

"Message is sent, boss", Taz replied. "I told Sim the bottom line: either he gets back here on the double wherever he is, or he's going to be _cut _from this group! And personally, I never _did _like the man much to begin with, so it'll be my _pleasure _to do the little weasel in if he's late…"

The sound of a window being crashed into & followed by the one on their wall on the west side of the room being shattered caught the attention of Nanpaa & his men as they cry out in surprise & shield themselves from the projectiles of broken glass that flew in their direction.

Next came the cacophony of guns blazing, followed by high-pitched screaming.

The sounds of chaos didn't go unnoticed by Iria & Bob, who were taken by surprise by the sudden noise as those inside.

"What the _hell_…", Iria & Bob said in unison.

"_Iria!_", a voice called to them as said person turned to see a familiar face fast approaching her position.

"Fujikuro!", Iria said. "Did _you _have something to do with this?!"

"What?! _No!_ I thought this little stunt was _your _doing! Me, I just _got _here, so give me a _break _already!"

"_**We**__ didn't have anything to do with this __**either**__, Fujikuro!_", Bob said. "_We were waiting for __**you**__ to arrive when all __**hell**__ broke loose just now! Whoever's causing __**this**__ mayhem was __**definitely not**__ part of our plan!_"

Just then, a small but powerful explosion erupted from the wall as chunks of debris rained down to the ground.

Iria & company dodged it just in time.

High-pitched screams erupted from the top floor amid the firing of bullets before getting abruptly ceased.

"Come on! Whoever this is, we need to _stop _him before this goes any further south!", Iria said, already heading inside the building as Fujikuro followed closely.

Entering the complex & racing up the stairs, the sounds of chaos were still present yet were shortened to that of a noise that was quite familiar to the two bounty hunters.

"You can _hear _that, can't you?", Iria asked.

"I certainly _can_, Iria", Fujikuro replied. "It reminds me of somebody scything _corn_ or even stripping the _meat_ off of an animal right down to the bare _bones_."

Fujikuro's description made Iria shudder slightly: if there _is_ somebody inside the building with the capacity for doing _that _to people, they could have a _real _fight on their hands. Not only would they have to save Nanpaa & his men from this butcher, they'd have to fend him off before collecting their targets _and _their money.

It was times like this in which Iria wished Gren was still here.

Clearing her mind on the thought of her older sibling, Iria & Fujikuro focused on the task at hand.

Reaching the top floor just outside the entrance, the duo could hear no noise of combat: no guns, no men shouting, no nothing. All they _can _hear was the sound of heavy dripping, & a foul stench of death filled their nostrils.

Each of them made a face of disapproval & appalment.

Foul stench or not, Iria & Fujikuro were determined to find their catch & fulfil their mission.

"Are you ready?", Fujikuro asked as he raised his weapon & Iria nodded.

"On three", she said, raising her own weapon. "_Three!_"

As one, Iria & Fujikuro faced the door & kicked it open. The stench was even stronger than before, but that didn't stop them from going down the short hall & into the main room.

When they _got_ there, they stopped in their tracks & gasped with their mouths & eyes widened.

Even Bob, when he popped up from Iria's gauntlet, was stunned into silence.

"fuck me!", Fujikuro said just above a whisper.

"_Jesus Christ!_", Bob said.

"I doubt that _He _has anything to do with _this_, Bob!", Iria said.

The scene in front of them could only be described as a living nightmare: furniture was tossed everywhere with several of them broken/damaged heavily, while the floor, walls & ceilings were spattered with blood. But what made it even _more _of a horror show was the half-dozen bodies that hung from their ankles by the wiring from within the ceiling as they were displayed like slabs of beef in a freezer: five of them were skinned from head to toe, leaving only the bare muscle underneath; one of them had a hole blasted through his chest the size of a man's fist; one was still fitted with his skin & clothing intact, but was missing two things.

The head & spinal column were both removed.

Bullet holes mark numerous areas wherever they hit, with most of them being shot in wild panicked fire.

Fujikuro, Iria & even Bob doubted they _hit _anything with their directionless, splayed fire.

Iria went over to one of the corpses – the one with the hole in its chest.

She & Bob took a good look at the wound.

"Are you _seeing _this, Bob?", Iria asked. "This wound in his chest, it's…"

"_Cauterized, yes_", Bob says. "_Some kind of energy weapon was used on this one._"

"Like my Borobdin?"

"_Or something else resembling it. Made a clean cut from one end to the other, leaving not one piece of shrapnel anywhere on the body._"

"That's what _I _got here at this portion of the wall, Bob", Fujikuro said. "Whoever killed _that _unlucky sap was in conjunction with this very spot – first going through him, then created this literal hole in the wall. No bullet did _this_."

"_Not even close, Fujikuro_", Bob said before Iria moved over to the corpse that had its flesh & clothing intact.

She studied it thoroughly before revealing her assumption.

"I believe _this _is Nanpaa", she said, getting her partners' attention.

"_That _dead piece of crap is Nanpaa? How can you tell, Iria?", Fujikuro asked.

"Those are his boots. I'd know them anywhere", Iria said, pointing upwards to said footwear.

Fujikuro looked to where Iria pointed & studied them intently. It dawned upon him that he now recognized those very same boots when he picked up Nanpaa that other time, using his Dempadan to snatch his prize & haul him off.

Like Iria, Fujikuro found it ironic that they encountered Nanpaa once before 13 months ago, only to find him as a headless corpse by some unknown assailant.

_Iria was right…this _is _Nanpaa!_, Fujikuro thought.

"So what the fuck _happened _in here?!", he said orally, clearly frustrated.

"_Truth be told, Fujikuro…I have __**no**__ idea_", Bob said.

Both bounty hunters looked at each other in stunned expressions: for once, their longtime friend had no answers to give either of them.

Outside, the wail of sirens caught their attention.

"Great!", Iria said. "Here we are in a room full of hanging corpses that _we _were supposed to hand over, & now we have to _explain _all this to our superiors once they _get _here! What are we going to _tell _them?"

"_Only one thing we __**can**__…the truth_", Bob replied. "_We'd better get down there._"

After a look of skepticism & worry, Iria & Fujikuro comply & exited the room, heading downward.

_On street level:_

Iria & Fujikuro made it down & out of the building in time to see the authorities & their fellow bounty hunters spill out of their vehicles & approach the duo. The one in charge & two others on either side of him walked up & stood three feet before them.

"Iria! Fujikuro! We got your call saying that Nanpaa & his band are held up in this building!", the headman said.

Both bounty hunters looked at each other before Iria answered first.

"That they are. That is…what's _left _of them."

Her reply stunned the headman & his staff.

"What are you meaning by that, Iria?", one of the aides asked.

"Just head up to the top floor, & you'll see what she meant, son", Fujikuro said. "Nanpaa & his foul band are…all over the place."

More confused than ever, the headman, his staff & the authorities went inside.

Unseen by all, Eagle continued his observation unabated & undisturbed, Nanpaa's skull hanging on his belt.

_Ghomvak Security Building, hours later:_

Once the others from Ghomvak Security & the city authorities entered the building & reached the top floor, they were just as flabbergasted & in shock at what they bore witness to as Iria & her party were: the hanging bodies, all the puddles/stains of blood, the multiple bullet holes everywhere, including the hole in the wall was too much to take for each man to comprehend. What they _can _agree on is that this group of corpses _is _Nanpaa & his men after a DNA test of each person's blood, confirming their identities.

It still wasn't enough: while the bodies have been positive for IDs, they needed more info on the events leading up to their arrival, & since Iria, Fujikuro & Bob were the only ones present, they're the only ones that can provide the answers they seek.

After the headman gave orders to get the bodies down, bag them & give the room a thorough sweep, he went on down to get back into his vehicle & have Iria & Fujikuro follow him back to headquarters.

Both bounty hunters (& even Bob) could tell that this long day was going to get even longer.

Calling the day at the Ghomvak Security Building hectic was an understatement: amid all the paperwork & file filling that had to be done, Iria, Fujikuro & even Bob were interrogated for a few hours by their superiors as they each did their best to explain the events that occurred before their arrival. Each one gave a detailed description as thoroughly as possible several times, making sure they got their stories straight as possible. Officials on both sides of the glass in the interrogation room listened intently for any slip-ups.

Much to their relief, Iria, Fujikuro & Bob convinced them all that they were each telling the truth, the whole truth & nothing but, thus earning their release after they filled out forms on the incident & handed them in.

Interrogations aside, the trio still weren't finished at the office.

Fujikuro, Iria & Bob headed over to the morgue section of the building, where a lone coroner's doctor was both examining the bodies brought in & taking down notes when he received the company. Bob was displayed on the screen as a larger & fancier version of his hourglass-shaped form, his two halves turning in opposite directions.

No matter how many times they see the one-time human head of Ghomvak Security as a downloaded program, it never ceased to amaze them.

The scene before them, however, was anything but: the corpse of Nanpaa was laid down on the coroner's table, completely devoid of clothes as its open back with exposed rib cage faced the ceiling.

Using a pointer in one hand, the doctor explained to his three guests.

"Using an object that was no doubt equipped with a pair of blades, the killer carefully yet quickly sliced his way through the ribs of the victim from the pelvic area right on up to the base of the skull, thus making it simple for him to remove both with a quick jerk of his hand in a fluid motion."

"One moment, doc", Iria says. "What you've said just now, about the ribs: you mentioned that they were…"

"That I did, Iria – I mentioned that they were _sliced _on through, _not _sawedthrough."

The doc's answer made the room silent as the three took it to let the information sink in.

"You wouldn't _have _such a weapon in your arsenals capable of accomplishing that, would you?", the doc asked.

Iria & Fujikuro shook their heads.

"_Sorry, doc_", Bob replied. "_Last I checked, there was __**nothing**__ on our records __**or**__ weapons manual that comes close to the one __**you're**__ referring to. And believe me, I would know if there __**was**__._"

"I hate to admit it, but Bob's right", Fujikuro says. "I myself know each & every weapon in our bounty hunting arsenal like I do my own hand, & then some. Even _Iria _here can tell what's in our equipment left & right without even having to look."

"This is _one _time that I fully _agree _with Fujikuro", Iria says. "Even _I _can't think of a weapon that's sharp enough to slice its way through numerous pairs of ribs like they weren't even there. And even if I _did_, the killer – _whoever_ he is – would have to have great _strength _to perform such a task. Someone who's possibly on par with…"

Iria paused in mid-sentence as a chill ran up her spine.

Fujikuro caught on, & he became nervous & more than a little scared himself.

"With Zeiram", they said in unison to one another.

"That can't _be_, Iria", said the doctor. "You all but _destroyed _Zeiram last year. And the authorities have annihilated every one of the creature's offspring when they invaded the city, leaving no survivors."

Fujikuro & Iria weren't even acknowledging the doc's words, being lost in the notion.

Bob, however, was.

"_Maybe you should allow __**us**__ to look into that notion, doc_", he says. "_If we happen to come across any info that __**could**__ be related to Zeiram in any way, we'll notify you about it. In the meantime, give me a call if you discover any new developments on __**your**__ end. Iria, Fujikuro…head for home. I'll join you both shortly._"

"Where will _you _be sneaking off to?", Fujikuro wondered.

"_I just need to make a quick…inquiry. I'll see you two later._"

Bob closed the screen down before either Iria, Fujikuro or even the doctor could reply.

Knowing they'd get nothing from Bob until later, both bounty hunters started to exit the morgue.

Iria at least had the decency to thank the doc for his assistance, unlike Fujikuro.

_Iria's domicile, dusk:_

The last rays of the sun went down, plunging the city into night as people make their way to work & entertainment areas to spend their evenings for business & pleasure. Even as the nightlife gets into full bloom, the citizens were on a sharp lookout for any signs of the unknown killer that butchered six men earlier in the day – the same ones Fujikuro & Iria were assigned to find & bring back.

So far, since the news was made to the general public, no sightings of the killer was reported even once.

At Iria's home, located on the outskirts of the city, she was joined by Fujikuro, Bob & even Kei – the young red-haired girl Iria first met on the planet of Taowajan when she crash-landed there – to go over the day's events, ranging from pursuing Sim (who is placed back in a holding cell) to the meeting in the morgue with the doctor there before they headed home.

Most of which that was relayed to Kei she already heard about on the news, but hearing the details the news _did not _cover sent a chill up & down _her _spine.

"Unbelievable, Iria!", Kei said. "A whole roomful of heavily-armed killers was brutally & savagely attacked by some unknown assailant – and they were _all _taken out by this lone individual by _hand?!_"

"With not _one _of them scoring a direct hit on this butcher anywhere on his person, Kei", Iria replied. "Considering the time that elapsed between his appearance & our arrival, I could swear Nanpaa & his men were killed in less than a minute. Aside from Zeiram, I can't think of any_one _or any_thing _that would have the audacity or the skill to do to those men what _he_ did."

"It certainly _couldn't _have been _Zeiram_ himself, Iria – you _did _defeat him, after all!"

"Absolutely, Kei", Fujikuro adds. "As Iria defeated Zeiram, all the _other _creatures he'd spawned were all quickly disposed of by the authorities after a long hard battle. Maybe it was one of Nanpaa's rivals who had a definite grudge against him: while he _does _recruit thugs if it serves his cause, he _did _have quite a list of enemies who wanted him dead. If that's the case, it looks like they've finally settled the _score _& got even."

"But to take down six heavily-armed guys? One would need an equal-numbered _army _to do that, Fujikuro. And if _that's _the case, the three of you would've _seen _them for _certain_. Don't forget: this killer managed to _get by _you three – coming _and _going. In order for _that _to happen, one would have to be all but _invisible _to the naked eye. How many do _you _know of who has that ability?"

Kei raised some good points for Iria & company to consider: who or what _does _have the ability to turn invisible & get through the city without being seen like how Kei described him? It couldn't have been one of Zeiram's monsters: none of _them _were spawned with invisibility of any kind, as Zeiram _wanted_ his creations to be seen by his prey before getting devoured/slaughtered by them. Neither Zeiram nor his creations were the type to hide from enemies: they were more than powerful enough to meet them head-on with no fear of whatever they might face.

With _this _individual, he used his cloak not only to get past them, but to make short work of Nanpaa & his group even as they were armed to the fullest. And, like Iria stated, they were butchered in less than a single minute.

Nothing & nobody came to Iria's mind with that ability, let alone to Fujikuro, Bob or even Kei.

Bob breaks the eerie silence as something entered his computerized mind.

"_It doesn't fit the pattern in more ways than one, Kei_", he says, getting everyone's attention. "_Even __**I**__ can't think of no living being – human or animal – that can make itself disappear from sight on a whim. Plus, it doesn't fit Fujikuro's revenge theory either: as we inspected the room, we saw that neither the weapons nor even the money Nanpaa & his men stole was taken from it. All of that was left untouched by the killer, sans the spots of blood. If this __**was**__ a vengeance ploy, all of that would've been grabbed & hauled off by the butcher. But it wasn't._"

Fujikuro mentally kicked himself for not remembering that all the weapons Nanpaa's men were armed with & all the money they'd stolen from various places were left exactly where they saw it.

_Why _would _this butcher ignore the weapons & money?_, Fujikuro thought. _I sure wouldn't have, were it me._

His thoughts were shared by the others in the room.

"So then, it comes to only one of two conclusions", Iria announced. "Either the Tedan Tippedai have created tech which can render its user invisible & sneak by undetected, or this individual that butchered Nanpaa & his goons earlier isn't _human_. He might not be one of Zeiram's creatures, but I have a strong feeling that our killer is _not _from anywhere here on Myce."

"Meaning, we've got ourselves a _new player _in town!", Kei replied.

"_Quite so, Kei_", Bob says. "_I would strongly have to go with Iria's __**second **__conclusion: if it __**was **__someone from the Tedan Tippedai, they would've taken both the weapons __**and **__money instead of leaving it behind. And considering this killer took Nanpaa's skull & spinal column with him when he departed, I myself would have to concur that our new friend is __**not **__human, even if he __**is **__completely different from Zeiram._"

It was a logical conclusion from both Iria _and _Bob: nothing human can get past the sharp eyes of either bounty hunter. Since trained by her brother Gren, Iria became a definite crack-shot: she could anything – _anything _– she could see, & her aiming was something to be desired by friend & foe alike. And while she loathed to admit it, Fujikuro wasn't all that sloppy either: _he's _as decent a bounty hunter as she, Gren & Bob are.

When he's not being too much of a _prick_, that is.

Yet, this killer got by _all _of them with ease both heading inside the domicile _and _exiting from it from right under all their noses.

Nothing _human _is capable of accomplishing that, no matter _how _he or she is.

"Looks to me like we're _all _in agreement on Kei _and _Iria's theory", Fujikuro says. "Not only do we have a brand-new visitor in our neck of the woods, but he's nowhere to being human who can disappear on sight, & who takes body parts for prizes. And yet, deep within the pit of my stomach, I _still _can't shake the feeling that the Tedan Tippedai has a _connection_ to this somehow. Call it a hunch, instinct or whatever you like, I'm _sure _they got _their _ugly mitts mixed in with all of this."

"_We don't know that for sure, Fujikuro_", Bob said. "_There's no solid evidence to prove it, & accusing them with nothing to back it up will only cause __**more **__problems for us than we can solve. They __**still **__have it in for us since we foiled their Zeiram Project last year, & accusing them recklessly could more likely than not make __**all **__of us suspended from Ghomvak Security, or worse, make us all __**fugitives**__. The best thing for us to do right now is to stay sharp & keep channels open for any clues that __**might **__make a connection with them to this invisible killer, __**or**__ if he's working solo._"

"So, you're telling us to sit & wait for this killer to strike next?", Iria asked. "Bob, today he's attacked & killed several armed thugs _by hand! _Next day, he might target innocent _civilians!_ We need to find this killer _now!_"

"_Actually, Iria…Fujikuro, Kei & myself will be handling it._"

Iria knew _exactly _what Bob meant, even though he didn't explain.

"You're…taking me off the case?", she asks in surprise. "But _why_, Bob? _I _have as much right to see this thing to the end as any of _you _do!"

"_Iria, I didn't __**want **__to bring this up to you, but…_", Bob started to say.

"But _what?! _I believe I'm _owed _an explanation!", she replied defiantly, crossing her arms.

"_It's like this, Iria: ever since you defeated Zeiram last year, you've been working almost non-stop all across the city, & even __**beyond **__it on occasion._"

"So what if I _have?_ There's nothing wrong with keeping yourself _busy_, is there?"

"_No, I'm not saying there __**is**__, Iria, quite the contrary._"

"Then _why_…?"

"_Because you're getting __**reckless**__. You like to __**hide it **__from everybody, but I know better: in the year after Zeiram's defeat, you've made such actions that've made the others at Ghomvak Security to __**question **__your ability to perform on the job, especially these last several weeks. Your performance on apprehending Sim earlier only confirmed it further._"

Iria made a connection to Bob's statement.

"_That's _why you were late in getting here!", she said. "You discussed my behavior with the _council_, didn't you?"

"_Yes. Whether you care to __**admit it **__or not, you __**still **__blame yourself for what happened to Gren at the Karma when it exploded, believing he died in that blast & wishing you could've done more to save him. For all that time, you've all but kicked & punished yourself right up to your most recent actions. __**That's **__why the council & I agree that you need to give yourself time & allow not your __**body **__to heal, but your __**soul**__._"

"Iria", Fujikuro stepped in, his tone surprisingly passionate. "You think _I'm _unaffected by what happened to your brother Gren? His death hurt _me _as much as it did you, believe me: Gren & I may have had our differences like you & I do, granted, but he was someone I trusted with my _life_, Iria. And _he _felt the very same way about _me_: whenever we'd been in a really tough scrape, he _knew _he can trust me to help him get out of it, & vice versa."

He came in closer with the face of a sympathetic dad.

"Gren asked me to keep it to ourselves, but…he _always _spoke very highly of you, Iria. He _knew _that one day, you would make a great bounty hunter, & even _surpass _him in every way. Turned out he was _right _all along."

"And…do _you _believe I've surpassed his expectations?", Iria wondered.

Fujikuro smiled warmly.

"You did what so many others _died _attempting to, Iria…defeat Zeiram, a _seemingly_ indestructible monster", he said. "If _that's _not reason for someone like _me _to appreciate, then kindly tell me what _is_."

In a rare moment, Fujikuro made Iria speechless: ever since they'd started taking jobs together, Fujikuro always attempted to _steal _them from her & collect the reward himself, leaving her in the dust. For him, making money was his primary objective as everything (& every_one_) else can go hang, according to him. But even before Zeiram's defeat, he saw Iria in a different light, & thus went in to fight a horde of monsters in order to give Iria time to approach her main target & deal with him on her own terms.

Hearing of her triumph over the creature, Fujikuro vowed never to underestimate Iria again – a fact he's proved repeatedly in the last 13 months.

"I…I don't know what to _say _to that, Fujikuro", Iria said. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Even _I _don't know why I didn't", Fujikuro said admittedly. "But what I _do _know is that Bob is right: you _need _to give yourself a little vacation & rest up before you go out there & do something _really _reckless that could land you in the emergency room…or _worse_. And if _that _ever happened, I'd _never _forgive myself."

"Fujikuro & Bob _do _raise good points, Iria", Kei stepped in. "I _know _how it feels to lose someone you love very much. Hell, you were _there _when it happened, when Komimasa gave his life to help you defeat one of Zeiram's monsters when both of us, along with Dr. Touka, arrived here on Myce from Taowajan. Not a day goes by that I don't wish that _I _could've done something to save Komimasa, but he'd _never _want me to spend the rest of _my _days beating myself up over it. And _Gren _wouldn't want _you _doing the same over _him_, Iria."

"_Listen to them, Iria_", Bob puts in. "_If you continue to perform in __**your **__current condition, not only will you make a most regrettable mistake which can eventually cost you your license & freedom, it will also cost you your very __**sanity**__. In short, you'll more or less become your __**own worst enemy**__. __**That's **__what we're all trying to __**prevent **__from occurring, Iria. If Gren were here, he'd say the same thing & urge you to take steps in collecting yourself like __**we're **__doing._"

For the second time in one day, Iria was left speechless: even _she _had to admit to herself that she's been getting more reckless during the last 13 months, most especially in recent weeks. Unless she does something to patch herself up in _spirit _more than her body, she'll only _become _the very fugitives she & Fujikuro are sent to capture.

Once _that _happens, it'll be only a matter of time before she's caught or killed.

_And what _would _Gren say about it then, knowing that his very sister _became _the very thing that she's been sworn to bring in?_, Iria thought.

Whatever it'd be, Iria can tell it won't be pleasant.

Finally, she stood up from the couch.

"Maybe you're right", she began. "I _have _been pushing myself too hard, & in doing so, I've become reckless in my work & never even _knew_ it until just now. Tragic as it was, I _do _need to stop beating myself up over Gren's death & start getting my act together because if I _don't_…I'll dishonor his memory in the worst possible way."

"So, does that mean you'll…", Kei started to ask.

"That's right, Kei. For right now, Iria – bounty hunter, license number 9799-5 – will be taking a leave of absence for about one month's time. Hopefully that will be a long enough period of time to settle down & start thinking & _acting _like a bounty hunter again."

"_It's __**more **__than enough time, Iria_", Bob said. "_You're doing the __**right **__thing, & we couldn't be more proud of you for it. Kei, while Iria enjoys her well-earned vacation, would you mind staying with Fujikuro for the time being?_"

"Uh…you _really _want me to stay with _him?_", Kei asked suspiciously, pointing to said person.

"_Relax_, kid! It'll be _fun!_", Fujikuro says with a playful grin. "Besides…you'll get to _work _with me in getting the bad guys & all! That _is _what you wanted, right? To become a full-fledged bounty hunter like Iria here?"

Kei looked to Iria, who was grinning herself but in a more kindly way.

"It'll be fine, Kei", Iria assures her. "Once you get past his rough edges, Fujikuro's a pretty decent & okay guy."

"Whaddya _mean_, Iria? I've _always _been a decent & okay guy!", Fujikuro says in protest. "_You _just couldn't _see _it clearly enough, that's all!"

Iria, Kei & Bob let out a little giggle, amused by their partner's antics.

"Whatever, Fujikuro", Iria says, heading for her room. "I'm going to go take a quick shower & clean up before I head into town to actually _enjoy _myself for once, so I'll see you all later."

"Hey Iria…you want I should join you for a slug or two down at the local pub?", Fujikuro called out.

"_Not on your life_, Fujikuro! Now _am scray!_", Iria called back, closing the door.

"Meh, worth a shot", he said with a sarcastic look.

Kei looked at him with skepticism & a bit of disdain.

"What, kid?", Fujikuro asked innocently, unperturbed.

The little redhead sighed in fury as Bob chuckled, amused.

_Aboard the Yautja craft:_

From the safety of their craft which was hidden in plain sight on the outskirts of the city with its cloak activated, the ship's inhabitants study the footage of Iria that was captured by Eagle from her scuffle with Sim & his band of men who tried (but failed) to take the bounty hunter down. Each of the alien hunters watched intently as Iria used every skill & weapon in her arsenal to defeat her assailants & bring down Sim with her bare hands. The footage captured by the facemask of Eagle impressed those viewing it, including the leader of this scouting/hunting party: a hunter with silver armor & a flesh tone of a solid peach like most human beings, with patches of medium lavender here & there. His own facemask sported seven sharp points: three on each side, with a longer curved point in the middle that arched over his head. A backwards Z was painted in blue with two dots on the sides, & the eyes flashed purple.

He was known in the human language as Spike, hence the points on his facemask.

From his left wrist gauntlet, Spike got in touch with Eagle, who was still in the city.

A series of cackles were exchanged between them.

"**The footage you captured of this female individual…it is **_**most**_** intriguing**", Spike says. "**Even as a female, she is a rather **_**tough **_**specimen among her species.**"

"**That she is, Supreme One**", Eagle replied. "**Do you suppose **_**she **_**might lead us to where our quarry awaits?**"

"**We will know soon enough. Continue to monitor her, but make sure she cannot discover you. Any & all info you can gather about her, report it immediately.**"

"**Understood. Signing off.**"

Transmission & conversation ends with the press of buttons.

Standing near Iria's home, Eagle reactivated his cloak & vanished within the surrounding area.

Very soon, the real hunt will commence.

**CHAPTER III**

_Within the city, one hour later:_

Once Iria showered & changed her garments, she traveled through the city in her Kreper, going at a very leisurely pace as she was in no great hurry to get to her destination. She was attired in regular civilian clothes – light tan top with beige pants & shoes – as her mind reflected back not only on the day's horrific events, but also on the times when she, Bob & her brother Gren went to the Karma space station to rescue hostages from Zeiram. In the melee, they encountered the indestructible monster which resulted in Bob getting seriously wounded as Gren went to fight off Zeiram to buy the survivors & Iria time to escape. Iria of course was _very_ reluctant to leave her brother behind, but Gren was adamant in his orders, thus making Iria give in to them as he promised that he'd join up with her soon.

He never did: shortly after Iria jettisoned from the station in her Kreper, Karma exploded & wiped out all traces of the station which seemingly killed Gren in the process. For a time, Iria _had _thought her older sibling perished along with Zeiram when the Karma detonated.

Not likely: Zeiram survived the explosion & landed on the planet Taowajan, whose main city – the Shadow Zone – was heavily infested with crime & young refugees who were simply trying to get by, having been largely ignored by its own government. It was where Iria met Kei & her friend Komimasa: having her Kreper hijacked by the two thieves & their friends, Iria managed to turn the tide against them when Zeiram appeared & attacked the Shadow Zone without mercy. Worse, its own government absolutely _refused _to assist the citizens in the district, saying that being infested with crime, they would allow Zeiram to wipe out close to half the population in hopes that the crime rate would drop & become part of their society once more.

Meaning, it would sacrifice innocent people – especially the children – for their own purposes.

Iria wouldn't have it: facing the creature with what she had in her arsenal, she brought Zeiram over to where the higher-ups were & allowed Zeiram to destroy _their _neck of the woods before getting removed via TransSat Gate, which are teleporter units.

Having teleported Zeiram off Taowajan didn't end his reign of terror: he arrived on Myce & spawned creatures from his own body that soon overtook the planet's main city. In her first encounter with Zeiram on Myce, Iria was all but stunned beyond words when she discovered that her older brother Gren hadn'tonly_ died_ back on Karma, but was more or less _absorbed _by Zeiram, developing his fighting skills in a monstrous version of him that tried to kill Iria.

And it probably _would _have, were it not for the brave sacrifice Komimasa made as he handed over a bazooka to Iria just before getting impaled by the creature, saying she was a better shot than him. His words spoke true: with her first shot, Iria vaporized the monster with a high-intensity flame, forgetting that it was Gren & that it was an abomination of him. Just as Bob stated then, if it really _was _Gren that she fought at the time, no way would Iria had survived.

In their final conflict, Iria (with an adamant Kei tagging along) faced Zeiram in a one-on-one battle as Kei offered some assistance, first by destroying a flowering pod of some kind & then by offering Iria her 'secret weapon', which was a crystal shield Kei created to entrap Zeiram. The 'entrapment' was partly successful: once Iria had put Kei out of harm's way & she & Zeiram were teleported elsewhere, Iria used Kei's weapon to literally cut Zeiram in half, encasing his bottom half as the top half was still alive & even tried to absorb Iria as it did to Gren.

But Iria would have none of it: in a last-ditch effort, she severed the miniature snakelike head on Zeiram's own by splitting it down the middle, killing him instantly.

Zeiram's reign of terror may have been no more, but it didn't soothe Iria's own inner monster: for the last thirteen months since her defeat of the monster, she _has_ been working almost non-stop, going from one assignment to another. In that time, she's become brazen, reckless, & even hot-tempered. Everyone from Bob to Ghomvak Security's council became concerned for her well-being & her actions, but Iria refused to listen.

And on this day, she was even _more _reckless: having blindly chased Sim, she ran afoul of a gang of bloodthirsty hoodlums with complete disregard for authority, be it law enforcement _or _bounty hunters. Iria took down each one with her skills before turning on Sim & threatened great bodily harm if he didn't give away Nanpaa's location.

Even though Sim gave in & relayed the info, Iria can tell that her actions _were _more than out of line, having come close to getting filled full of holes & being nearly as bad as those she's sworn to stop.

Seeing what remained of Nanpaa & his crew didn't help either: Iria had to give a lengthy explanation of events leading up to the grisly discovery, & while her superiors were convinced that neither she nor her party were responsible, it became the bottom line.

Iria _was _becoming brazen & reckless, & it was time for her to take a breather.

_What I did earlier _was _reckless & stupid_, Iria thought, admitting it to herself. _I'm _better _than that…I _know _I am. Bob was right: I _do _need time to gather myself. _Next _time I might not be so lucky, which could cost not only _my _life, but those of my friends. If _that _ever happened, _I_ would never_ _forgive myself._

Bob made the right choice telling the Ghomvak Security council of her behavior behind her back, followed by in suggesting she take time off her work.

For Iria, it felt good in accepting her vacation, & by _admitting _that she needs one.

She knew _just _the place to help her get started – a place that's always open, day & night.

Whoever slaughtered Nanpaa & his crew, Bob, Fujikuro, Kei & the other bounty hunters from Ghamvok Security can handle things, as they were _more _than capable.

Iria drives her Kreper through town, seeing people going on in their daily lives, making the most of their time & still attempting to put the past behind them. She could tell that more than a handful of people still recall the horrid attack of Zeiram & his monsters on the city, with many losing friends & loved ones: even 13 months since the horror ended wasn't enough time to drive the memories away.

Deep down, Iria doubted it will _ever _be long enough.

She can most definitely relate to that sentiment.

But she knew that the people are strong & are determined to prevail even after a horrific experience.

If _they _can thrive, so can she.

She finally reached her destination & puts her Kreper in park just across the street from it, getting out & putting up its crystal shield to prevent any wannabe hijackers from stealing her ride – an experience from Taowajan she _did not _want repeated. Securing her ride, Iria walked over to the place with double swinging doors & entered inside.

From several feet away, a lone figure wearing a light cloak with hood watched her arrival & enter the place before heading over to & entering himself.

Unbeknownst to _either_ of them, Eagle stood on the roof of a nearby building, his invisibility cloak activated.

He watched both Iria & the stranger enter the same place – which is called Clambake – and reported it to Spike.

Clambake was a combo of a bar & eatery mixed as one: it's a place where a person could either enjoy a drink of beer, wine or any alcoholic beverage or enjoy a dinner with family & friends. It was one of Iria's favorite places within the whole city whenever she wants/needs an escape from it all.

Heading straight for the pub portion of the place, Iria sat on one of the many stools aligned as one of the bartenders – a young man in his late 20s with short spiked gold hair came to her.

Seeing Iria always made him smile, & vice versa.

"Good evening, Iria!", he said. "Haven't seen _you _here in quite some time! How have you been?"

"Hello, Quafe", Iria replied. "I've…been busy. _Really _busy. But I'm having myself some time off, so you might see me here more often for a while."

"Always a pleasure to have you setting foot in this place, Iria. So…what will it be, sweetie?"

"A really tall glass. You know my brand."

"I certainly do. Coming right up."

"Make that _two _glasses along with a pair of menus, if you will. And I'll be buying", said a new voice.

When Iria turned to her left, she saw a young man sitting on a stool next to hers. He was a few inches taller than Iria, attired in a light green cloak complete with hood, which he removes to reveal a head of brown hair that resembled Iria's own in almost every way – spiky, but without the bounty hunter braids. Upon first notice of his features, Iria felt like she was seeing a relative she'd not seen or heard from in ages.

For a few seconds, she could neither move nor speak.

"It's all right, Iria: it'll all be on me", the man said, digging into his pockets & taking out a large sum of kem in his hand.

Quafe & Iria were impressed by the payment the young man possessed.

"Give me a moment, mister", Quafe says, heading off to get his request.

He returned with a pair of filled glasses & menus before collecting for the drinks & giving them privacy.

"I suppose I should _thank _you for that bit of generosity, mister", Iria said as she & the man took a swig of their drink. "Not many people buy _me _a drink, so this _is _a nice change of pace. But something tells me you're _not_ buying me a drink along with a meal out of mere kindness. You _want _something from me…don't you?"

The man didn't even try to deny it.

"Sharp instincts as usual, Iria", he said. "Fact is, I've been trying to get in contact with you for the past month."

"You have?", Iria replied, looking straight at him. "Might I ask what for?"

"It's like this: up _until _last month, I _used_ to work at the Tedan Tippedai corporation when we've suddenly come across something which – _hulf!_"

In a heartbeat, Iria grabbed the man by the lapels of his cloak with her left hand & pulled him close.

"_Excuse _me, but…did you _just _say that you worked for the _Tedan Tippedai?!_", Iria growled softly, her face in a mask of deep abhorrence & her teeth clenched. Her right hand tightened into a fist, ready to clobber him.

"Y-Yeah, I did, but it's _not _what you _think_, Iria!", the man said softly but speedily, doing his best to defuse the situation. "I didn't try & track you down to lay any _ambush _on you!"

"_Forgive _me if I find that hard to _believe_, fella! How do I know that this _isn't _some trap set for me by them _or _the authorities?! What _proof _can you offer to _convince _me that you're telling me the truth…_before _I clobber you?!"

"Because, Iria…if this _was _a trap, they would've come busting in here the _moment _you grabbed me, which was about 12-15 seconds ago! What's more, they'd come in with guns blazing, injuring or even _killing _all these people in a fight that isn't theirs! _I _don't want that _any more _than you do!"

Iria gave the man's words some thought, & found that he was practically correct in his assumption: if this really _was _a surprise attack on her person by the Tedan Tippedai, they _would've _already charged inside the place shooting off their weapons, giving her little to no chance of fighting back, especially since she left most of her weapons at home. All she _did _have was the hidden knife in her braid (the same one she used to slice Zeiram's snakelike head in two), & it wouldn't even be _close _to help defend herself from a sudden attack.

One of them could very well get in a lucky shot, or worse, an innocent bystander could be hurt or killed.

_She _wants that even _less _than him.

Looking around the place, Iria sees people minding their own business & enjoying their evening.

None of them paid any attention to her…yet.

Getting herself under control, she lets out a soft sigh & slowly releases the man & unclenched her fist.

"I'm _really _sorry, mister", she said apologetically. "It's just that the Tedan Tippedai & myself are…"

"No apologies necessary, Iria", he said. "I can sense that you have some…bad blood between yourself & my ex-employers."

"More than you can ever imagine. But I'm afraid you have me at a _loss_: you know _my _name, but who are _you?_"

"I guess I _did _get a little _ahead_ of myself, huh? My name is Miyasha."

"Now we're _getting _somewhere. So…what can I _do _for you, Miyasha?"

"I desperately need your help, Iria, & you're the _only _one who can give me the best chance of success at it. The Tedan Tippedai is planning something big as…"

"Wait. Let's go sit where we can have better privacy before you relay it all to me."

"Fair enough."

That said, Iria & her new friend Miyasha went over to a table where there'll get guaranteed privacy but not before letting Quafe know so their orders would be brought to them in their desired space. Before Miyasha spilled what he knew to Iria, they both agreed to get nourishment first as they were both completely famished. Getting meals of some well-prepared fish from the ponds, lakes and/or streams & served with veggies on the side, they ate wholeheartedly in fifteen minutes before Miyasha got down to business.

"You mentioned you needed my help against the Tedan Tippedai, Miyasha?", Iria stated.

"I certainly do, Iria", he replied. "Just before I was 'laid off' by my boss Terenoda, he & his men were in pursuit of & captured a humanoid creature – the likes of which hardly anyone's ever seen before, sans for a handful of people who know of their existence. This creature they caught is some form of alien hunter that possess weapons & technology no one's ever witnessed, let alone anyone who can _achieve _on such a level. Case in point: their armament includes two-foot-long clubs that can extend into pointed spears, shoulder-mounted laser cannons that launch deadly shots of blue-white energy that are hardwired to sight, 'smart weapon' razor-edged discs that are capable of returning to the thrower, steel-like nets that trap their prey & are nearly impossible to break, even something as small as what I have here with me is a deadly weapon. Hold on…"

Miyasha dug into his pocket & took out a green cloth. Unraveling it, he revealed a golden Y-shaped object that had each end in sharp points. Showing it to Iria, he placed it in the palm of her hand.

Examining it closely, Iria was surprised by the near-weightlessness of it.

"My _goodness_, Miyasha!", she said excitedly but softly. "This thing's almost _weightless!_"

"Don't get fooled by it, Iria", he warned. "While it _feels _incredibly light, that thing can cut through steel _almost _as if it were paper."

"And this is _all _the weaponry this creature has in its arsenal?"

"Most of it. The _gauntlets _they wear on their forearms are _also _equipped with rather nasty surprises: the gauntlet on its right holds a pair of extremely sharp jagged blades that can slice & dice like you wouldn't believe, while the one on the _left _contains a cloak that can render the thing practically _invisible_ & enable it to…"

Iria perked up when Miyasha explained both the wrist blades _and _the invisibility cloak.

"Hold on, Miyasha!", she says, cutting him off. "Did you _just _say that thing can turn itself…invisible?"

"Sans for a slight distortion in the air, yes. Why?"

Pieces of a jigsaw puzzle were really starting to come together & fit: the double blades on the creature's forearm _would _explain as to how Nanpaa's head & spinal column were removed so easily, as described by the doctor over at the morgue. It would _also _explain as to how the killer was able to move around without being spotted by Iria & her friends.

_I think we just found Nanpaa's killer!_, Iria thought.

"Iria?", Miyasha called to her. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"I…I need to go, Miyasha", she says abruptly, rising from her seat. "There's…someone I need to go & talk to."

"But Iria, wait!", Miyasha says, stopping her from taking off before she sat back down. "I _need _you…_badly! _You need to know how _dire _my predicament _is_: my ex-boss Terenoda is planning on _duplicating _their technology & weapons & supply their _soldiers _with it! Knowing Terenoda, he's probably either _succeeded _in doing so already or he's really close _to _it! And that's not the _worst _part: once they start _selling _their new toys to criminals & hitmen alike, can you even _begin _to fathom the consequences?! These people can enter & exit wherever they please, leaving God only knows _how _many bodies in their wake! _That's _why I _came _to you so _urgently_, Iria: if I'm going to have any _chance _of stopping this operation of Terenoda's, it's by having _you _at my side!"

Every bit of Miyasha's words was being pondered by Iria: having unknown technology that's as dangerous as her new friend is saying falling into the hands of those that would cause complete chaos wherever they roam on Myce or even other worlds like Taowajan _would _be a disaster, possibly even more than Zeiram & his monster army could ever cause.

The people of both planets are still reeling from the attacks, & they don't need to go through something like that a second time anytime soon.

"So you're asking me to accompany you to the Tedan Tippedai, find out where they're duplicating this creature's high-tech toys & weapons, & bring their operation down?", Iria asks, sitting back down.

"That's about the size of it, Iria", Miyasha says matter of factly. "Will you help me?"

Miyasha expected Iria to understand & get the plan he set in motion.

But what Iria says next is something he _didn't _expect from her.

"I…I can't", she says solemnly, hanging her head.

"What? But _why_, Iria?", Miyasha asked. "I thought that you _hated _the Tedan Tippedai."

"Trust me, Miyasha", Iria says, lifting her head. "_Nobody _loathes & despises that company more than me: I'd like _nothing better _than to see them crash & burn."

"Then why…"

"It's because I'm on a leave of absence, Miyasha."

"What for?"

"Since I defeated Zeiram last year, I've worked almost non-stop to the point where it became a problem: I started taking unnecessary risks, diving head-first into the thick of danger without even considering the consequences, I've killed a lot more suspects than I've brought in, some with the severest of injuries I inflicted upon them, got into a lot of fist fights & nearly got my license revoked…in other words, I've basically grown unstable as of late. If I accompany you on this task of yours, there's a very good chance I'll become more of a _hindrance _than a help to you."

"You pushed & overworked yourself too hard this year, is that it?"

"Correct. _That's _why I can't help you, Miyasha. I'm so sorry."

Miyasha felt like a balloon with all its air deflated & sagged.

"Believe me, Iria, I understand", he says. "While I had _hoped _to get help from the best, now I feel like I'm up a river without a paddle to help me steer."

"Maybe not", Iria said, rising from her seat & digging into her own pocket. She'd handed Miyasha back the Y-shaped dart just before taking out a card & presented it to him, both of which he took.

"And this is…?"

"An associate & very dear friend of mine. While _I _may be on a leave of absence, he _isn't_: just type in that number on any computer screen, & he'll appear no matter where you are. Once he does, fill _him _in on everything that you told me. He'll take care of the rest, guaranteed."

Miyasha looked at the card like he was studying an equation.

"You're _sure _about this guy?", he asked as Iria smiled.

"Aside from my brother, he's somebody I trust with my _life_. And speaking _of_…I trusted _you _just now, Miyasha. Therefore, it's _your _turn to do the same for _me_."

Considering the alternative, Miyasha agreed with a nod.

"You're right, Iria…that has to work _both_ ways", he says. "After I take care of our tab, I'll head home & get in touch with your friend to give _him _the details. But before you take off…"

Miyasha took out a small communicator & handed it to Iria, who takes it.

"In case you change your mind at any time, you can get in touch with me on that", Miyasha explains. "I'll _never_ be too far away from if you _do _call."

"Thank you, Miyasha", Iria said sincerely, putting the communicator in her pocket. "I need to head home myself & rest up – it _has _been a long day. Thanks for the meal – maybe we'll get to enjoy one together again sometime soon!"

Iria was already heading for the door as she spoke her last sentence to Miyasha, waving to him like a departing lover. She was out the door in seconds, leaving him alone as he wrapped up & placed the alien dart back into his pocket.

Miyasha checked the card Iria gave her. It had a number on it along with her friend's name.

"Bob", Miyasha said softly to himself.

Looking up, he caught sight of the waiter & called to him.

"Check, please!"

_Miyasha's home, one hour later:_

Once Miyasha paid the tab for his & Iria's meals (& left the waiter a generous tip), he headed home & went right for his computer console. Taking out the card that Iria handed to him, he punched in the number right below the name of Bob & waited. What happened on his screen was something Miyasha _never _expected: he was staring right at a golden pair of objects shaped like an hourglass that twirl in opposite directions. In between was a pink sphere that was placed in perfect alignment with the twirling gold halves.

What surprised Miyasha even _more _is when the object on his computer screen actually _spoke _to him.

After the initial shock wore off, however, Miyasha was all business: once introductions were taken care of, he'd started explaining his situation to Iria's friend about his current predicament. Miyasha didn't spare any details about the mess the Tedan Tippedai has now involved itself in, let alone the creature they've captured & all its tech & weaponry.

Miyasha's lengthy explanation was unlike anything Bob ever heard before, but it _did _fill in a good number of empty gaps & holes that were created during the day's events with Nanpaa & his crew.

"_Now I see __**exactly **__what you __**mean**__, Miyasha_", Bob says. "_Your story __**definitely **__explains as to how this butcher was able to get past all __**three **__of us – myself, Fujikuro __**and **__Iria – with ease & slaughtered Nanpaa & his band, all right under our very noses. While I __**did **__find it hard to believe at first, this new evidence you've just supplied me with would certainly prove __**why **__this killer was able to avoid detection._"

"Here's a bit of _more _proof for you, Bob", Miyasha said, taking out the Y-shaped dart he showed Iria. "_This _here is only one of _many _deadly weapons this creature & its kin have in their possession."

"_Its kin? You mean to say that there's more than __**one **__of these creatures out there?_"

"And how. Somewhere out there in the very depths of space, there's a whole _planet _of these alien hunters which stalk & kill their prey with ease. They roam around from planet to planet, looking for _only_ the _biggest_, most _powerful_ prey to hunt – because only the _best _will satisfy them."

"_In short, these creatures are a race of big-game hunters, is that it?_"

"Correct, Bob. From what limited information I can gather about them, these things are called the Yautja."

"_Yautja? That's a new one on __**me**__, I must admit. I've never even __**heard **__about these creatures in all __**my **__time as a bounty hunter __**or **__as a computer program as you now see me._"

"Not surprisingly: only a _few handful _of people have _ever _known about the Yautja here on Myce, & those that _do _are sworn to a complete vow of _secrecy _on their existence, knowing they face the dire _consequences_ of revealing them to any non-essentials."

"_And now, having __**captured**__ one, your ex-boss Terenoda is attempting to replicate their tech & use it for their own purposes?_"

"That about sums it up, Bob. Having everything he needs at the facility he's _keeping _the creature at, he's no doubt _already _duplicated their high-tech toys & weapons. But that won't _nearly _be _enough _for him: like I told Iria, he'll be so tempted to _sell _it to anyone with deep pockets, meaning highly-paid assassins & well-connected crime lords & terrorists. With the technology in _their _hands, you can probably _assume _what will happen then."

"_Yes…murder on an incalculable scale all across Myce, or anywhere __**else**__ for that matter. Now I see just __**why **__you wanted Iria in particular on this mission of yours, Miyasha._"

"I really _had _hoped she'd be willing to _join _me on it, Bob. But since she's been placed on a leave of absence, she suggested me to _you _instead. So…can _you _help me? This operation of Terenoda's is even _more _dangerous than the thing he's taken the technology from, & it _needs _to be _shut down_. Otherwise, _many _innocent people are going to _die_…and we don't want a _repeat _of what went down last year, especially since we're _still _picking up the _pieces_ from that."

Bob remained silent for several moments as he processes everything Miyasha relayed to him.

After 20 seconds, Bob replied.

"_You're __**definitely **__correct about that __**last **__part, Miyasha: the attack from Zeiram left a __**godawful mess**__ upon our doorstep, & we have __**no intention **__of going through a repeat of __**that **__horror show. But while __**Iria **__is currently unavailable, I happen to know of two others who'd be more than willing to lend you a hand with your dilemma._"

"Whoever you can spare will be greatly appreciated, Bob. How soon can I _meet _these two?", Miyasha asked.

"_Sometime tomorrow…once they've completed their current assignments. We've still got a couple of stragglers roaming around from last year's unexpected jail break when Zeiram attacked, but I'll definitely fill them in on your situation first thing in the morning. Good enough?_"

"More than so. Thanks, Bob."

"_Don't mention it, Miyasha. Now how about you getting yourself some sleep? You look like you can __**use **__a good night's rest._"

To prove Bob's point, Miyasha lets out a yawn.

"That I surely can", he says. "I'll see you tomorrow, Bob. And give my best to Iria if you happen to run into her, won't you?"

"_Will do. Good night, Miyasha._"

Nodding, Miyasha turned off his screen as Bob disappeared with it.

Getting up from his seat, Miyasha got into his sleepwear & killed the lights before crashing into bed.

He was fast asleep in seconds.

From a rooftop one block away, another of the Yautja – who went by the name of Hawk – surveyed Miyasha as he followed him home & overheard his conversation with Bob, absorbing every detail/word that was exchangedbefore it ended with the mere push of a button as Bob vanished from Miyasha's computer screen before the man himself went straight to bed.

He relays his findings to Spike via his communicator on his left forearm cuff.

"**The one called 'Miyasha' has spoken to a computer entity named 'Bob' just now**", Hawk explains.

From their ship, Spike answered the call.

"**Were there any new developments from this conversation?**"

"**Yes indeed**", Hawk replied. "**There was a mention of 'two others' from the entity called Bob, saying that he would be contacting them in the morning. He **_**also **_**mentioned that Miyasha was going to meet them sometime tomorrow…**_**after**_** they finish their task of tracking down human fugitives roaming their metropolis.**"

"**Then **_**that **_**is when we shall make our move**", Spike said. "**I will relay this new information to Eagle, who is keeping close watch on the female who's called Iria. Resume your observation with Miyasha in the meantime.**"

"**It will be done. Hawk out.**"

Hawk ends the connection on his forearm cuff before resuming his duties.

Soon, the moment of truth will be upon them.

They just need to wait a little longer.

_At the secluded Tedan Tippedai facility:_

Terenoda walked down the hall with Professor Kouza at his side, their destination being the last door on the right at the very end of it. Each man walked with full confidence & authority, feeling like _they _were the Vice President of the Tedan Tippedai and/or one of the executives.

With what they're currently working on, there's a good chance that they'll all but _reach _that position on the ladder of success in the corporation.

At about twelve feet from approaching the door, it opens up to reveal one of the technicians step out, lifting up his work goggles as he came three feet at both men.

"Ah, Mr. Terenoda, Professor Kouza!", he says. "Impeccable timing! I was _just _on my way to _get _both of you!"

Kouza & Terenoda gave each other a slightly amused look.

"Really?", asked the former. "How convenient: _we _were just on _our _way to check on your _progress_, doctor! We _hope_, for _your _sake, you have good news to _share _with us!"

"He's right, doctor", Terenoda adds. "We're coming down to get an update on our investment, & we're hoping to see _positive results_ from all the time & money we've invested in it. So…care to give us a prognosis?"

"I can do you one _better_, sir!", the doctor said. "You can come in & _see _the results for yourselves!"

Both men smiled.

"Lead the _way_, then", said Kouza.

Nodding, the doctor did exactly that: he guided Kouza & Terenoda into the room as his colleagues were hard at work in manning the console that operated a multitude of mechanical arms within a containment room that was centered in the middle of the room. From within the confined space, the arms were busy connecting parts & welding them firmly with bolts & jolts of electricity. Everyone concentrated infallibly on their tasks, never allowing anything to interrupt in their work even when Terenoda & Kouza entered the room, both of which stared at their prize with eyes that went wide.

Unable to contain themselves, they ran towards the glass & glared at their accomplishment.

"_Remarkable!_", Kouza said. "I _still _can't believe that you were able to _accomplish_ this in almost three weeks – _exactly _as I had _predicted!_"

"Once we thoroughly _studied _the alien technology in just the first week, Professor, creating this prototype was almost _child's play _for us!"

Terenoda smiled at the prize before him more than at the doctor's statement.

"Magnificent!", he said, turning to the doctor. "I must say: you & your staff really _outdid yourselves_, doctor! How _soon _will this marvel of alien science be ready for its test run?"

"According to our most _meticulous _calculations, we estimate that the prototype will be ready _and _fully operational in the timespan of a day or two…tops!"

This information made Terenoda & Kouza grin wider.

"Excellent, doctor!", Kouza said. "Keep at it! Don't let up for _anything!_"

"You don't need to worry about _that_, Professor!", the doctor replied. "_We're _as anxious to see this thing in action as either of _you _are!"

"Believe me, doctor – you'll be _getting _your chance!", Terenoda said as he & Kouza turned & headed for the exit.

_And so will a certain…Vice President & his band who are in dire need of a hard lesson!_, Terenoda thought with fiendish malice.

He & Kouza headed back to the latter's personal lab.

**CHAPTER IV**

_The next day, one hour after dusk:_

True to his word, Bob gave Fujikuro & Kei the details _he'd _received from Miyasha the other night: many of the blanks were filled in on how the killer that butchered Nanpaa & his band got past them without being spotted, leaving a trail of bodies & claiming Nanpaa's head/spinal column as the creature's prize. Bob also gave them the lowdown on Miyasha & what he's discovered over at a secret facility built & owned by the Tedan Tippedai about capturing one of the Yautja & stripping it of its high-tech in order to make multiple copies & sell them to the highest bidders.

And since Iria will be unavailable due to her being on 'vacation', the task falls to Fujikuro & Kei to join Miyasha & bring their operation down.

But first things first: with Fujikuro at the wheel of his Kreper, he & Kei were on assignment to locate any more of the escapees from last year's jail bust when Zeiram's army invaded. Since the early morning after breakfast, Fujikuro & Kei kept their eyes sharp for any of the fugitives that were wanted by the authorities, subdue them in any which way they can, & bring them in.

So far, they came up short even after searching the entire day.

"Isn't _this _the biggest kick in the ass!", Kei said with more than a little frustration. "An all-day drive around the city to find any of the criminals on the authorities' most-wanted lists, & we haven't gotten so much as a _nibble _in all this time!"

"Ah, quit your whining, kid!", Fujikuro said. "Locating criminals _isn't _like going on a scavenger hunt, okay? You need to have a whole lot of _patience_, among _other _essential traits, if you _ever_ plan on becoming a full-fledged _bounty hunter! _It don't happen overnight, either: when _Iria _was your age, she went through _years _of intense training to get to where she is today, & she _never _took no damn _short cuts! _ Bottom line? You want to be the _best _you can be in _this _line of work? Then you gotta learn to be patient & take the _heat _that _goes _with the job! _Understand?!_"

Kei stared dumbfounded at Fujikuro for a few moments before responding.

"Wow! _Somebody's _sure in a grumpy mood today…_more _so than _usual!_", Kei pouted, her arms folded.

Fujikuro took in a deep breath & exhaled with a grunt as he mentally counted to ten.

When next he spoke, his tone wasn't as harsh as before.

"Forgive me, kid", he says. "While I wanted to get some _points _across about this _job _of ours, I didn't mean to go all _ballistic _on you like that. It's just, well…"

"There's something _else _on your mind, aside from our task, isn't there?", Kei says.

Fujikuro gave her a quick smile.

"Spot-on, kid", he said. "It's that _other _bombshell that's been dropped on us – the one that _Miyasha _guy spilled all over on _Bob _the other night! Not only do we have to round up these stragglers in the city, now he's asking us to go storm some secret facility owned by the Tedan Tippedai & bring it down! Out of the frying pan & into the fire, as it were!"

"But at least we now know _what_ killed Nanpaa & his group the other day, Fujikuro!", Kei says. "It looks like Iria was _correct _in her assumption that the murderer wasn't _human_, but an actual _alien _from another _planet _– a conclusion that Miyasha guy _confirmed _for us!"

"That's _another _thing that's bugging me, kid!"

"You mean Miyasha?"

"Who else? Right after that, whatchamacallit – Yautja creature – attacked & slaughtered Nanpaa & company like mai-mai scuppers, he finds Iria at her favorite place to get away from it all – the Clambake – and shares confidential info with her, & her alone! _We _only heard about it from Bob – _after _Iria gave Miyasha a number to get in _touch _with Bob, which only Iria & _myself _knows about! Something doesn't _seem _right!"

"You're not suspecting that Miyasha's leading us into a _trap_, do you?"

"Maybe he _is_, kid! Don't forget: Miyasha _works _for the Tedan Tippedai, an organization that no doubt _still _has it in for us since we botched up their Zeiram project last year, among _other _things we've got them so pissed off about!"

"Miyasha _worked _for the Tedan Tippedai, Fujikuro! 'Worked', past tense! He got _suspended _from the company last month, remember? Chances are, _he's _been _cut loose_ from that nest of snakes!"

"I _still _don't trust him, in any case! But let's focus on the problem at hand first: once we _hopefully _get ourselves a lucky break & apprehend at least _one _of these creeps, _then _we'll get back to that Tedan Tippedai matter!"

"Damn _straight _we will!", Kei said, checking a dossier file on all the criminals still at large. "Luckily, I've all but _memorized _these faces on the most-wanted list, so it shouldn't be _too _hard to spot any of them!"

"_That's _the spirit, kid!", Fujikuro said with a smile. "_You _do the pointing out on these scumbags, & _I'll _take care of putting them down for the bounty on their heads!"

"Just like we planned, right?"

"Ha! _Bingo_, kid! Just keep your chin & head held up high, eyes peeled, & soon there ain't _no _place where these human trash can hide with _us _on the lookout! Just give us a _single sign _of where these rats might be held up before…"

An explosion from 30 feet away caught Kei & Fujikuro's attention as the blast was more than powerful enough to jar their ride & cause them to swerve & crash into a nearby store. People scrambled to clear the way in time.

Several pieces of debris went flying in & reached their direction, but Kei put up the Kreper's crystal shield just in time to protect them from getting pummeled & possibly killed by flying rubble as each piece bounced off harmlessly, doing no damage to the vehicle _or _its occupants.

Watching Kei acting quickly in putting up the vehicle's defenses relieved & impressed Fujikuro.

"Good thinking, kid! You okay?", he asks.

"A little shaken up, but I'll live!", Kei replied. "What just _happened_, Fujikuro?!"

Both occupants looked out to see a local bank with its front completely blasted out in a thick cloud of smoke. As it cleared away, they can see a group of nine individuals standing proud in what remained of the bank: each one was all but armed with rifles & handguns, along with several knives on their persons. Eight of them were Caucasian, but one was brown & about a foot or so larger than the rest, with even more muscles & a bald head with a thin mustache on his upper lip.

An instance of recognition hit Fujikuro like a wave, & he smiled.

"Whoa!", Kei stated. "Hey, Fujikuro! Isn't that…?"

"Yeah…Koomba!", he says. "He & I have something of a _history _together!"

"_You're _the one who put him _away_ once…didn't you?"

"Ha! You're a _quick _one, kid! But yeah, I did: on one of my very first assignments, I had my infamous run-in with Koomba when he robbed his first bank & took a girl hostage! I managed to rescue the hostage & returned what he stole…but _not _before putting his entire _crew _down like _they _were Zeiram's monsters! As they hauled him off, he swore he'd get _even _with me if he ever _escaped _from the pen! Guess what _I'm _going to do!"

Kei chuckled a little before replying.

"I can guess you're _not _going to _disappoint _him!"

"Got it on the _first _try!", Fujikuro joked. "All right, kid…you know the _rest _of the plan?"

"Yeah: let the shield down to let _you _out, then put it back up so that it covers the _entire _Kreper to keep _me _safe once the _bullets _start flying!"

"And with _Koomba _involved, you can _bet _they'll be flying! Okay, on three…", Fujikuro started, grabbing his rifle. "_Three!_"

On Fujikuro's signal, Kei pressed the button to deactivate the shield as he jumped out. Once he was in the clear, Kei pressed the button again, only _this _time the crystal shield covered the Kreper all around from bow to stern – exactly as when the travelers go through space on missions.

_Go get 'em, Fujikuro!_, Kei thought eagerly. _There'll be a big fat bonus waiting for you!_

"We got the goods, boss!", said one man. "Let's skedaddle before the _authorities _get here!"

"Right!", Koomba said. "We'll each split up so they can't follow us as a group & keep them on their toes & going in circles! And remember: for anyone who _can't _make it back, you don't get your share!"

"Hey Koomba…for those who _don't _get their share, _I'll _gladly take it off their hands!"

Koomba & his men stare at the fool who dared to make a joke at the career criminal: it was a lone man dressed in a multi-colored tunic with beige boots, spiked green hair done in a ponytail & was also brown in color sporting a thin mustache that went down to his chin. He held a high-powered rifle in his hands.

He also sported a cocky smile on his face.

"Hi there, Koomba…long time no see!", Fujikuro said in an equally cocky voice.

"Fujikuro!", Koomba said with venom in his voice & through gritted teeth.

"Aw, you _do _remember! I have to say…I'm _touched!_"

"You're soon gonna be _dead!_", one man said as he & the rest of Koomba's men aim their guns at Fujikuro.

The bounty hunter doesn't even flinch.

"Lower your guns…_now!_", Koomba barked.

The eight men were stupefied at their leader's order.

"But boss…", said another man.

"_Do it!_", Koomba spat.

When their boss spoke like that, _none _of his men _dared _to question him or disobey, so they did as instructed.

"Now get this!", Koomba stated firmly. "This piece of Zeiram shit is strictly _mine _to kill, & mine _alone! Any _of you stupid fuckers who so much as _breathes _on him will answer to _me! Understand?!_"

Each of his men nodded quickly & wordlessly.

"Oh, boys…while your boss & I settle our differences, would _one _of you be so kind as to put all that _money _back where you got it from?", Fujikuro asked sarcastically. "That would be _much _appreciated!"

"My men take orders from only _one _person…_me!_", Koomba said. "We'll be _rolling _in kem once I tear your _head _right off your shoulders & _shit _down your _neck!_"

"Their funeral."

"No…_yours!_"

At the sound of his last word, Koomba took out a pair of large knives in each hand & came after Fujikuro, who held his rifle like it was a staff. When Koomba came within striking distance, he brought his blades down on his enemy, who used his rifle to block both attempts as the sounds of metal clanging echoed the area.

Both men got engaged in a test of strength as they stare at each other with pure hatred.

"You think I've _forgotten _my humiliating _defeat _at your hands, Fujikuro?!", Koomba says. "For _years _I thought of _countless ways _in getting my revenge on you once I got out of my _cell_, mister! And after I put _you_ in the ground, I'll do the same to _everyone_ you've ever _cared _about! What do you say to _that?!_"

Fujikuro just smiled.

"Going after _my _friends?", he says. "Big mistake, Koomba! If _I _don't put your ass away…_they will!_"

With a swift kick from his right leg, Fujikuro belted Koomba in his solar plexus with enough force that actually caused him to stagger back several steps as he gasped for air. While he recuperates, Fujikuro swatted Koomba in the side of his head with his rifle, making him see stars in his vision. Fujikuro followed it up several blows from his rifle, striking him everywhere from his sides to his chin. He keeps up the momentum to prevent Koomba from getting a lucky shot; Fujikuro knew that Koomba is no pushover, & won't hesitate to use any opening he can get to gain an advantage over an opponent.

Kei watched from the safety of the Kreper; viewing Fujikuro in actual combat gave her a new form of respect for a man who's brazen, stubborn & quick-tempered. Seeing his fighting skills was reminiscent to watching Iria taking on Zeiram when she & her partnered up briefly against the indestructible creature before Iria sent her away to safety on her glider.

She vowed to be as good as Fujikuro _or _Iria once Kei _really _begins her training.

Using the butt end of his rifle, Fujikuro slammed Koomba in the back of his head & put him face down onto the street, placing his weapon on his back & keeping him pinned.

"Now, Koomba…_what _were you saying before about ripping off my head & shitting down my neck?", Fujikuro recited with a smirk. "The only shitting _you'll _be doing is in a _bucket _once I get your ass – _and _that of your motley crew – back in the _slammer_ where you _belong!_ Got anything to say about _that?_"

Koomba does, but not in words: like a striking snake, he reached out with his left hand & grabbed Fujikuro by his ankle & pulled with all his might, causing the bounty hunter to lose his balance as his enemy literally pulls him off his feet & make him hit the ground & lose his rifle. Koomba gives him no chance to recover his weapon: he rose from the ground & grabbed Fujikuro by the lapels of his outfit, pulling him up to eye level. Without a word, he gave Fujikuro a bad beating, slugging him with fists & feet as hard as rocks that caused the bounty hunter to bleed from his mouth & even his nose. Barely conscious, Fujikuro gets kicked in _his _solar plexus that knocked the wind out of him.

He also flew back into another Kreper before sinking to the pavement.

"_Fujikuro!_", Kei cried, seeing the tide turn badly.

Koomba chuckled wickedly as he stepped up & stood over the fallen Fujikuro.

"Come on over, boys!", Koomba urged with a wave of his hand & a huge grin. "You don't want to miss a _second _of _this!_"

Like obedient soldiers, Koomba's men came close to the fallen Fujikuro but still kept a bit of distance to give the boss man plenty of space. Each of _them _had a big smile on _their _faces just as well.

"Get this on camera, boys…I'm about to slice this has-been bounty hunter to _pieces!_", Koomba says, retrieving his knives. "_Then _I'm going to display his _remains _in public as a warning to the people on _all _of Myce that _nobody _can keep Koomba down for long…no matter _how _deep a hole you manage to put him in!"

The men cheer as one of them takes out a recording device to capture his boss' horrid performance of Fujikuro.

"So…any _last words_, tough guy?", Koomba cooed from his victim.

Fujikuro did the only thing _he _would be prone of saying.

"Go _fuck _yourself, Koomba!", he literally spat as a glob hits his foe in the face.

The hulking fugitive simply wiped it away.

Inside the Kreper, Kei reached for one of Fujikuro's guns in one hand while placing her other over the button that will bring down the crystal shield, determined to lend Fujikuro a hand whether he approves or not.

_They can put _me _in jail later…_after _I get Fujikuro out of this tight fix!_, Kei thought, ready to spring into action.

Kei doesn't get the chance to, as the next several seconds became busting with activity.

One man spotted something unusual, & he lets his partner know.

"Hey Zam…what the hell's _that _on your chest?", he asked.

"Huh?", Zam replied looking down on himself.

Placed right in the center of his chest, Zam sees a trio of red dots in a triangular pattern, confusing him.

The man never had a chance: in the blink of an eye, he exploded in a shower of red when a ball of hot blue-white energy struck him where the dots were placed, splattering Zam's remains all over his team. Everybody – from Koomba & his men to Fujikuro & Kei – stared flabbergasted at what happened as time seemed to stand still.

One moment Zam was standing tall, waiting to see the bounty hunters' grisly demise.

In the next, he was gone…in a literal red flash of human remains.

"Oh _shit!_ Where the _fuck _did _that _come from?!", another man asked as he & the rest brought out their guns.

In answer, this very same man became attacked himself by a net that came out of nowhere & dragged him over to a building, ensnaring him to the wall as the net became tighter & cut into his flesh. The man cried out in pain as blood spilled from everywhere the net penetrated.

Almost immediate after the man was ensnared in the net, Koomba & his men fired their guns in the direction it came from, ignoring Fujikuro for the time being. The bounty hunter & Kei (the latter in the safety of the Kreper with its shield up) watched as Koomba's people shot wildly at where the attack originated.

Close to a minute passed before Koomba gave the order to cease fire, which they did.

Everyone waited in complete silence, wondering if the fool that killed two of their guys is dead himself.

Soon, one man made a slight grunt that caught their attention & turned to him.

"What's with _you?_", one man asked.

Without warning, the man that made the grunt bled in his right arm as half of it fell off while his hand still held his weapon, dropping to the ground. It was immediately followed by his face as a diagonal split opened up before half of his head slid off & fell, the open cut squirting blood & brains before he collapsed like a house of cards.

"Over there! He's over there!", another man shouted as they resumed firing in a new direction.

The slaughter continued: one man was impaled by something that sent him flying over towards Kei, who watched as the man was embedded to the wall of a building by an unseen object which makes itself known – a spear that looks as if it were growing out of the man's chest before reaching its full length. The man saw it grow fully before dying.

In the air above them, something was heard twirling before slamming into a fifth man which took him away like a large hand grabbed & carried him: a large silver disc with six curved blades penetrated the unfortunate soul & pinned him to a wall as he hung dead like some kind of sick ornament. Blood dripped from the wounds the blades pierced & out of his mouth.

Five were down, with four left standing.

"Did you _get _him?!", Koomba barked. "_Somebody _better say they _got _the fucker!"

"Not that _I _can tell, boss!", said a man. "I can't even _see _the fucking prick!"

He _also _doesn't see what occurred next: from behind a pair of large jagged blades entered the man in the back & emerged from out of his chest, the blood making them visible to the naked eye. The man that got impaled cried out just as he was struck & lifted up 2 feet from the ground by…something. Even though it wasn't too clear, Koomba, the rest of his men, Fujikuro & Kei can see it: a large shimmer in the air in a humanoid shape that stood over two meters tall in height.

While Koomba & his people wasn't sure of what _they _were witnessing, Fujikuro & Kei had their suspicions.

As the man impaled literally cried blood, the shimmer raised its free arm & shot forth an object that struck another man square in his forehead as he timbered backwards & landed on his back, dead before he even hit the ground. Tossing its now-dead victim aside from its blades, the shimmer effortlessly grabbed the last of Koomba's men by the throat & held him high over its head, its other hand holding his legs together. The man tried to fight off the abduction, but this gigantic shimmer was too fast & too strong.

It didn't stop him from struggling, despite how pointless it was.

His struggling & all movement ceased in a heartbeat when the shimmer took the man down over its knee, hitting his back & cracking it with an audible snap that was heard even from Kei, hearing the cracking of bone & muscle tissue even through the crystal shielding.

Kei felt a chill run up her own spine upon hearing it.

Dropping the dead man to the ground, the shimmer disappeared to reveal itself to Koomba, Fujikuro & Kei: it is a _mountain _of a creature that had a sickly peach flesh color with light brown & purple patches. Several areas upon its person – shins, forearms, shoulders, chest – were covered in dark brown metallic garments/armor, & metal sandals has adorned its clawed feet. Its face was concealed behind a metal facemask that had a pair of blue orbs for eyes, & behind its head was a mess of long snakelike 'hair' that was jet black with gold braids embedded in them.

It let out a soft cackling sound like that of an insect.

Koomba never saw this thing before, but Kei & Fujikuro both quickly became familiar with it.

"The Yautja!", Kei said softly, recalling what Bob relayed the other day from Miyasha.

_Holy fucking shit…these things really _do _exist!_, Fujikuro thought. _I guess that Miyasha guy _wasn't _pulling our leg _after _all!_

This Yautja – who went by the name of Bison – stood tall, proud & ready for more.

"…Koomba…", he said in a dead-on imitation of Fujikuro's voice, pointing to said person as if challenging him.

The brown-skinned fugitive _took _it as a challenge & _accepted _it.

With a roar on an enraged animal, Koomba ran towards Bison with his knives in hand, having every intention of gutting the creature like he planned on doing with Fujikuro. Like a deranged lunatic, Koomba slashed vehemently at Bison with quick swipes from his hands that were almost like lightning. He was all but unhinged: not only did this thing lay waste to his whole crew, like Fujikuro, it delayed & possibly derailed his plans for a quick getaway.

Koomba will now make an example out of _two _people for _daring _to meddle in his affairs.

Bison sidestepped every one of Koomba's swings, some he blocked with his forearm cuffs & wrist blades, making a clanging sound each time. With one strike from his blades, Bison cut the knife in his left hand in half as the blade went flying & left only a stub of a weapon. Koomba realized this turn of events for a split-second before he was buffeted with a powerful backhand hit that sent him tumbling through the air & landing roughly on his side.

In his plight, he lost his _other_ knife as it flew too far away for him to retrieve.

Knives or not, Koomba was still a tough & persistent opponent: despite the loss of both his weapons, he charged Bison & landed several rock-hard blows from his fists on the creature's person, striking him in the areas where the flesh was all but visible. With all of his strength, Koomba put every ounce of power into his blows while dodging/avoiding counterattacks from his gigantic opponent that dwarfed even him. Koomba, however, was too proud & stubborn to give in to anyone, including this alien hunter.

His ego would be Koomba's mistake: after getting clobbered by Bison with a powerful hit by the creature's arm which sent his adversary back nine feet, Koomba got the wind knocked out of him as he fought to get air back into his lungs before getting back on his feet, albeit a bit groggy. Once he steadied himself, the hulking fugitive charged Bison again like a runaway Kreper. As he got within striking distance, Koomba made his move.

As did Bison himself: when Koomba attacked using a powerful swing of his right foot, Bison used his blades to slice off both of Koomba's legs at the knees with a single swipe. The shins & feet of the brown-skinned fugitive went flying in separate directions as Koomba cried out from the pain of losing his limbs before he landed upon his stomach which knocked the wind out of him. Again.

With blood loss making him lose his strength, Koomba used what he could muster to make a hasty retreat as he used his hands/arms to escape his alien attacker that just literally cut him down to size; before, he was a mountain of a man who intimidated people with his size & physique.

Now he was crawling like those who sniveled in fear of him, crying like a baby while praying for mercy.

Bison was deaf to his pleas & whimpering: striding up to him in a few steps, he used his wrist blades to dig into Koomba's back and, with a swift/fluid motion, ripped his head & spinal column with a sickening sound like gutting a fish from the lakes & streams. Fresh blood spilled from the skull & Koomba's body as Bison roared in triumph of his new prize, holding it up in proud display.

Viewing the scene made Kei sick to her stomach, yet she could not turn away from the sight.

It _did_, however, fill in _more _gaps for her & Fujikuro.

_Bob _mentioned _that Nanpaa had _his _head & spinal column ripped from his body the other day!_, Kei thought. _Now we know the _cause _of it! _

It still didn't make the situation a win, especially for Fujikuro: he & Kei spent _all day _trying to find the rest of the escaped fugitives from last year, & when they finally _do _find some, what happens? Some alien creature he dismissed as a hoax before suddenly stepped in & takes away _his _catch, _his _bounty & _his reward_.

The disappointment of not being able to collect for _this _bounty made Fujikuro angry, & he used that rage as some sort of rejuvenation as he rose to his feet, picking up a piece of debris. Kei caught on & called out to him.

"Fujikuro! What are you _doing?!_", she cried.

"Stay out of this, Kei! This is between _me _& _him!_", Fujikuro called back.

Kei continued calling out to him, but Fujikuro ignored her & threw the piece of debris he had straight at Bison's back. It hit him in his left should with enough force to get his attention as he turned in a single twist & faced the enraged bounty hunter.

"Hey asshole! That was _my _bounty you just took from me, dammit!", Fujikuro barked. "I don't care _who _or _what _you are, but _nobody _steals from me & gets away with it! You're going to _pay _for taking something that had _my name _on it, fella!"

Bison let out a bellowing grunt & extended his arms, his blades glistening in the nighttime.

"Oh, you think you're so _tough_, do you?", Fujikuro went on. "Well, why don't you try a _real _challenge instead of _those _pathetic losers?! Come on: you want a _piece _of me, you ugly son of a _bitch?! _Then _come & get it!_"

Kei protested harder than before to dissuade Fujikuro, but the bounty hunter blocked her out completely & came in charging at Bison, who did the same.

She might as well try to stop Myce from turning on its axis; nothing short of a bullet to both of their heads was going to stop these two combatants from duking it out.

As they got within reachable distance of each other, the first punch gets thrown.

_Iria's domicile:_

Her punch was swift & solid that would've knocked out anyone it made contact with.

She followed it up with a series of kicks in rapid succession as Iria moved with the grace of a cat, keeping herself keen & alert at all times. Spinning on her foot a full 360 degrees, Iria swung her leg before giving a pair of swift jabs in moves that were almost too fast for anyone to follow. A flying kick as Iria did a full body flip came next before she pulled out her gun & pretended to (but never actually _does_) pull the trigger on her invisible enemy, doing so twice in a speedy manner before holstering it.

"_I hope you __**realize**__, Iria, that when one is on a leave of absence, they're __**supposed **__to relax & take it easy_", Bob said to a slightly surprised Iria, who unleashed a soft laugh & eases off on her exercises.

"This _is _how I 'relax & take it easy', Bob", Iria says. "You should _know _that by now. And for how long _have _you been watching me, might I require?"

"_Long enough. But I honestly didn't stop by to see you perform maneuvers I haven't already seen you execute in a flawless manner countless times, Iria._"

"Oh, so there _is _a reason for the sudden intrusion, then."

"_Yes. I've managed to do a spectral analysis of the Y-shaped weapon Miyasha showed you at the Clambake the other night when he met you._"

"What did you discover about it, Bob? Anything good?", Iria asked, her curiosity rising high.

"_For starters, it's unlike anything – and I mean __**anything **__– we have here on Myce: the metal it's comprised of is __**not**__ found upon any periodic charts, and while it's very lightweight in mass, it's sharper than any kind of weapons __**we **__can think of. None of __**our **__blades can even __**begin **__to compare to this thing, & I dare to say that not even __**Zeiram **__could create a pointed weapon of that magnitude…_"

"Unless of course he _absorbs _it first", Iria finished.

"_It __**definitely **__fits in with Miyasha's story about the Yautja being aliens from another world, Iria – not that I had any __**doubts **__about it from the start._"

"And now the Tedan Tippedai have actually _captured _one to use its gear for their own purposes. No _wonder _that Miyasha was so adamant about having me join in on his mission to take that factory down."

"_He felt that by having __**you **__at his side, his chances of success would be even __**greater **__than __**without **__you, Iria._"

"And I _would _help him…were it not for my current 'position'. But then, I _do _have good reasons why I _can't _join him on this, Bob – reasons that _you _already explained."

"_I __**do **__understand your disappointment, Iria. But it won't be all __**that **__bad: Fujikuro's __**more **__than resourceful, & he can aide Miyasha on this quest in your place. He __**is **__better than __**either **__one of us gives him __**credit **__for._"

Not wanting to get into another argument about her bounty hunter rival, Iria simply nodded.

"Okay, he is. I _will _grant you that", she admitted. "Speaking of…how _are _Fujikuro & Kei doing out there? Have you heard from them recently, Bob?"

"_Not for a few __**hours**__, Iria_", Bob admits. "_Once they went out on patrol to look for any loose stragglers, neither of them have reported in. That's not __**like **__them._"

"No it isn't: even Fujikuro knows to keep in touch every now & then while on a mission. You don't suppose they ran into any _trouble_, do you?"

"_Let's hope __**not**__. We'll __**need **__them for Miyasha's assault on that Tedan Tippedai-owned factory once they finish their rounds in the city. Let __**me **__get in touch with __**them**__, Iria: having been out of contact for __**this **__long, it's best if __**I'm **__the one to…_"

Bob's abrupt stop in his sentence gave Iria cause for concern.

"Bob? Bob, what is it?", she asks.

"_Iria, better get yourself on full alert!_", he ordered. "_I'm detecting the presence of a lone individual that's making its way here, & he's coming in rather quickly!_"

Grabbing her gun, Iria stayed silent & listened intently for any sounds of entry by the intruder.

For nearly a minute, she heard nothing.

The she does: the sound of what _appears _to be a bird chirping became louder with each passing second, but then Iria realized that it _isn't _a bird at all.

It was a _whirring _sound.

Peering out of her entranceway, Iria watched for any movement when she suddenly caught something from a distance that grew in size as it got nearer: it was like a disc but was soaring through the air like it was a miniature version of a Dempadan, silver in color & moved in fast. Remembering what Miyasha told her & Bob about the Yautja's weapons & tech, Iria dropped to her hands & knees as the disc approached, barely missing her head & rams itself into a wall & getting halfway stuck.

"_Jesus Christ!_", Bob said as Iria rose to her feet.

"_That's _putting it _mildly_, Bob!", she said, her gun at the ready. "Our unwelcome visitor has _just_ arrived!"

"…has _just_ arrived…!", said someone or something with Iria's own voice.

Facing where she heard her own voice originated, Iria aimed her gun at the entranceway of her home to see…

Nothing?

No, she saw _something_ from her entranceway – a distortion in the air of some kind that slightly wavered.

It was more than enough to convince Iria what she was looking at.

_A Yautja!_, she thought.

As she began opening fire, the shimmer dodged each bullet & came at Iria with a speed that rivaled her own & knocked her weapon out of her hands in a maneuver that stung her before getting kicked back against the wall, missing the disc still embedded in the wall by only inches.

"_**Iria!**_", Bob cried out as the shimmer vanished to reveal the creature in all its glory.

Both Iria & Bob stared at the monstrosity that has now entered the room: a hulking humanoid creature that stood an impressive two meters tall & then some, wearing body armor in various part of its person, its flesh a sickly yellow. On its face was some metal mask that had dark eye slits, & its jet black snakelike hair was decorated with gold braids. Its weaponry was quite impressive too: a shoulder cannon rested upon a harness behind its back on the left, while a pair of jagged blades extended from its right forearm cuff.

If Iria and/or Bob needed more solid evidence about Miyasha's story, it stood & stared them right in the face.

Eagle – who kept close tabs on Iria since she went after Nanpaa the other day – finally makes his move.

"The Yautja, we presume?", Iria called out to it, reaching behind her as she spoke. "You've made a _big _mistake in coming _here_, creature!"

Raising his left arm & aiming it at Iria, Eagle opened a compartment on his gauntlet.

Bob saw his ploy & cried out.

"_Iria, __**watch out! **__This creature is about to…_", he started to say.

With a quick swivel of his arm, Eagle shot forth a Y-shaped dart at the computer screen that Bob was occupying, smashing the glass & circuitry within that caused electrical surges & sparks to erupt.

"_Bob!_", Iria cried out, seeing her boss & friend get hit & destroyed by the alien hunter in the blink of an eye.

Having gotten rid of the machine, Eagle turned back to an irate Iria.

"_That _was your _second _mistake, you ugly mother…!", she began saying.

Like a cat on the prowl, Eagle leaped himself at Iria, who managed to draw her spare gun from behind & bring it forth. She never got off a single shot: Eagle swiped his blades at the huntress, slicing her gun cleanly in half. Dropping her now-useless firearm, Iria barely avoids getting decapitated for the second time this evening as the twin blades went past her face, but the very tips managed to make twin cuts on her left cheek that bled only slightly. The alien hunter then raised his arm above his head, ready to make Iria a bloody pair of twins. With no room to back away to, Iria swiftly squatted to the floor & dove between the creature's legs as Eagle brought down his wrist-mounted weapons to the spot where Iria was a second ago.

Still on her hands & knees, Iria attacked with a powerful kick from her left leg, striking Eagle in the back of his femur, the blow actually staggering the creature & causing him to cry out in pain that echoed throughout the domicile & beyond it. Jumping to her feet, Iria prepared to give the creature a knockout blow in the back of his head with both her fists & send it into unconsciousness, but to her surprise & dismay, Eagle does a 180 degree turn & swiped at Iria in repeated swings. Iria retaliates & swings her fists & feet before getting clobbered in the chest with his own foot. The bounty hunter was sent flying backwards & crashed into her couch, nearly getting the wind knocked out of her.

Fighting through the pain in her chest, Iria sees Eagle readying his shoulder cannon, aiming it directly at Iria's chest as she looked down to see three red dots in a triangular pattern being displayed on her chest.

_Uh-uh! No fucking way are you firing _that _thing in _here_, alien!_, Iria thought adamantly.

Raising her right arm, Iria shot forth a hidden blade from her own gauntlet & that struck Eagle's shoulder cannon in its underside, shorting out the device & rendering it inert. With the cannon out of commission, Iria reached underneath the table & grabbed her high-powered shotgun, aiming it at her alien foe. Unlike Eagle with Iria, the bounty huntress hit the creature dead-on in his chest, drawing a lime-green shade of fluorescent blood from the wound as Eagle roared out in anguish & even surprise. Not taking any chances, Iria fired another pair of shots from her weapon, each one doing equal damage like her previous shot.

Feeling woozy from the wounds & blood loss, Eagle knew that was a no-win situation & planned to retreat.

Raising his left arm, Eagle shot a pair of binders that catch Iria in her wrists & pin her to the wall, causing her to drop her shotgun. While she struggled in her binds, Eagle went over to where his razor disc was still embedded in the wall, pulling it out with ease before heading for the exit.

"Oh no you _don't_, alien!", Iria barked, getting herself free from her binds & grabbing her weapon. "You don't just come into _my _home, attack me & my friends & then leave here scot-free!"

She ran after her alien adversary as she spoke, chasing him outside as Eagle hopped over the railing & landed on the ground gracefully before he started running off. Iria took aim from her balcony & shot at the creature, missing him every time: even wounded, the Yautja can move pretty quick.

Pressing buttons on his left forearm cuff, Eagle activated his cloak & vanished from sight before Iria could get off another shot.

Despite the trail of fluorescent green blood, he was _gone_.

_Shit! He could be _anywhere _by now!_, she cursed to herself.

Then she remembered something…or someone.

_Bob!_, Iria thought, racing back inside to get her left arm gauntlet & putting it on.

"Bob! Bob, can you hear me?", Iria called out to him. "Answer me!"

He did not, even after more than a minute.

_Come on, Bob, answer me, please! This isn't funny!_, Iria thought, her worry growing with every second.

But Iria knew that Bob wasn't the one to make any kind of practical jokes: while he _did _make a slightly humorous statement now & then, the man was always all business before & after his 'accident' aboard the Karma before the station detonated. His resurrection as a computer program didn't make him any more invincible: a slight computer virus and/or heavy damage to his console could easily spell doom for him in the blink of an eye.

Iria started dreading the worst, fearing she lost her boss & good friend…for the second time.

"Bob", she said softly.

She had no time to grieve: a radio message quickly came in, interrupting her mournful moment.

"_Iria! Iria, you there? This is Kei! Come in, over!_"

Putting her personal feelings aside, Iria became all business & answered Kei's S.O.S..

"Kei, this is Iria! I read you!", she replied. "Are you & Fujikuro okay?"

"_Not really!_"

"What happened?"

In the Kreper, Kei was in the driver's seat as Fujikuro lied in the back, clutching his bleeding left side.

She careened through the city like she & her passenger were trying to escape the Devil himself.

"Iria, Miyasha's story about the Yautja really are true!", Kei replied. "We just had a _run-in _with one of the damned things not one minute ago! Fujikuro _engaged _it, only to get hurt…badly! Now he's going in & out of consciousness!"

At her home, Iria took a pause to absorb the information before she responded.

_That's almost at the same time one of those damned creatures attacked _me _just now!_, she thought.

"Kei, listen to me!", Iria said. "Whatever you do, _don't _head back to Fujikuro's place! Chances are there might be one ready to ambush you both once you get there! Come here to _my _house instead – I'll have a medical kit waiting for Fujikuro when you arrive! Got that?"

"_Got it, Iria! We're on our way!_", Kei relied."_Is Bob all right?_"

"Just get here as quick as you can, Kei! I'll take care of the rest!", Iria stated, signing off before Kei could press the matter further. She especially didn't want to get into what happened to Bob, not knowing if he's still alive or not.

With Kei & Fujikuro en route, Iria gave thought on the matter: there was an attack by the Yautja on both Fujikuro & Kei in the city, while Iria herself received one as an unwelcome visitor in her own home. Both attacks were done in a simultaneous manner or close to it, leaving out the chances of them being a mere coincidence.

Gren, Fujikuro & Bob _never _believed in coincidence, & Iria didn't either.

_This was most definitely a coordinated attack!_, Iria thought. _And if the three of _us _were the Yautja's targets, then that could _also _mean…_

She thought about one more who could _most certainly _be expecting a Yautja visit.

Immediately, Iria went to her room to get the communicator given to her by her new friend.

"Miyasha! Miyasha, come in! It's Iria! Are you there?", she began speaking into it.

Sixteen seconds went by with no response.

_Come on, Miyasha!_, Iria thought, fearing the worst. _You _said _you'd always be near your own communicator if I changed my mind! I need you to pick up!_

Iria was about to try again when it suddenly sprang to life.

"_I'm here, Iria!_", Miyasha replied, giving her relief hearing his voice. "_Are you all right?_"

"Not really! One of your Yautja friends paid me an unexpected _house call _just now!"

Miyasha waited six seconds before he answered her.

"_No shit? One also paid _me _a visit as well not two minutes ago!_"

Iria feared that: having her friends & herself attacked by the Yautja would also put Miyasha in the crosshairs.

"Are you hurt at all, Miyasha?", she asked.

"_Thankfully, no: even though we had a violent brawl, my alien playmate suddenly cut & run before it _really _got messy! It _puzzled _me, Iria: these creatures don't just give up on a target that easily! Something's amiss here!_"

"It _is _quite a mystery – one _we _need to solve! Miyasha, head over here to my home soon as you can! You know how to _get _here, right?"

"_I was thinking the same thing, Iria. And yes: my Kreper's guidance system will lead me straight to you. Just let me pick up a few things, & I'll be on my way over. I shouldn't be too long._"

"Excellent. I'll be waiting for you. Iria out."

She ceased transmission & pocketed the communicator.

Turning to the smashed screen where Bob was, it still sputtered sparks after her alien attacker struck it with one of its weapons. Iria has no way of knowing if he was still functioning somewhere or was erased into oblivion, & it was eating at her from inside.

But she had to put her personal grief to the side: there was work to be done, & Iria was going to have company at her house shortly.

Iria made preparations for their arrival.

_Thirty minutes later:_

Miyasha was the first to arrive at Iria's domicile, arriving five minutes sooner than Kei as she arrived in Fujikuro's Kreper. When they did, Iria & Miyasha assisted the young girl in getting the injured bounty hunter inside & placed on her couch before Iria attended to Fujikuro's wound on his left side, placing a med-patch to seal off the bleeding before he died or even passed out from blood loss. Kei gave them plenty of space for them to work, not wanting to obstruct in their endeavors.

She also said a mental prayer for the man: while Fujikuro _can _be such a grouchy/stubborn ass at times, he's still a reliable bounty hunter. He held his own against Koomba well, never giving an inch or surrendering to the fugitive in any way, shape or form. And when he went up against the _Yautja?_ He didn't back down one iota until he was wounded in the side before Kei intervened.

The young girl from Taowajan can respect that kind of fighting spirit in _anybody_.

Fujikuro was no exception.

Luckily, Fujikuro became aware & conscious as he was being brought in & treated upon by Iria & Miyasha.

He grunted once the med-patch was placed onto his wound.

"Damn! Does it ever _not hurt?!_", Fujikuro growled.

"It'll hurt a lot _more _if you don't calm down & _relax_, Fujikuro! Now _sit still_ & let the patch do its work!", orders Iria. "Consider yourself _lucky _that your _lung _wasn't punctured!"

With a soft grunt, Fujikuro _did _relax as Iria instructed.

"Is that patch going to be enough to _help _Fujikuro?", Kei asked.

"It sure will, Kei", Miyasha said. "Not only will it stop & staunch the bleeding, it also helps speed up the healing process. If Fujikuro here doesn't strain himself, he'll be okay in about a week or so."

"_If _he takes your _advice_, that is", Iria joked with a smirk.

"Ha-ha, very funny, Iria!", Fujikuro grumbled under his breath.

Miyasha, Iria & Kei shared a quick grin with each other.

"Nice to see your sense of humor hasn't been damaged, Fujikuro", Iria says, becoming all business as she turned to Kei. "But what exactly _happened _back there, Kei? How'd Fujikuro _receive _these wounds?"

"It was almost like battling _Zeiram _again, Iria!", Kei explains. "After the Yautja turned Koomba & his gang into bad memories, Fujikuro stepped in & _fought _the thing _himself!_"

Kei gave a description of events to Iria & Miyasha.

_Earlier, within city limits:_

From the protection of the Kreper's crystal shield, Kei watched as Fujikuro battled Bison in a hand-to-hand match as each combatant fought tooth & nail against each other, throwing swift hard punches & kicks to full effect. Neither one pulled their punches either: for every hit one received, it was given back in full with every ounce of strength he can muster. The fight intensified with each passing second as Fujikuro & Bison became more animalistic in their scuffle, as both were feeling the blows received. With speeds that seemed almost inhuman, Kei could scarcely follow them as her heart raced faster the longer the fight lasted, fearing for Fujikuro.

Then her fear came true: in a move that surprised the bounty hunter, Bison snatched Fujikuro's left fist with his own that shocked the man before driving his wrist blades into his left side, causing twin punctures that stung like hell.

Kei cried out Fujikuro's name as the man fell on his rear, clutching his side to stop the intense bleeding.

With his enemy down, Bison grunted in triumph before raising his right arm, preparing to deliver the killing blow to Fujikuro, who was all but powerless to stop death literally looming from above.

A pair of shots from a firearm rang out & struck Bison in the back, the rounds pinging off his armor & doing no damage but definitely getting his attention.

Even Fujikuro turned to the shooter, & when he saw who it was, he couldn't believe it.

It was Kei, holding the pistol in her right hand, aimed directly at Bison.

"Get the _fuck _away from him, monster, or my _next _rounds will hit _flesh _instead of _metal!_", she barked.

As she spoke, Kei rushed over to Fujikuro, never taking her sights off the alien hunter as Bison stepped back a few feet.

"Kei! What the _hell _do you think you're _doing?!_", Fujikuro snapped.

"Getting _your ass _out of the fire & _saving _it!", she says, getting to his side. "And you're _welcome_, by the way!"

"You crazy brat! _Get _back inside the Kreper & put the _shield _back up before this damn thing kills us _both!_"

"_Not _without _you_, I won't! And if _he _so much as _tries _to do _either _of us in, he's going _down!_ Now shut up & _lean _on me!"

Realizing he won't win the argument, Fujikuro used what strength he had to put his arm around Kei's shoulder as she took the brunt of his weight before getting him back to the Kreper. Kei kept her gun trained on Bison at all times, making sure he wasn't stupid enough to try & do to them what he did to Koomba & his crew. The Yautja stood & stared as he watched Kei assist Fujikuro over to the Kreper.

"I was right: you & Iria really _are _so much alike, it's downright _scary!_", Fujikuro says as he gets himself inside.

"Maybe, but it's what's keeping you _alive _right now!", Kei replied, keeping her gaze on Bison before she hopped into the driver's seat, turned on the crystal shield & started the vehicle up before it took off.

For all that time, Bison never attempted an attack on either of them.

Giving the alien hunter a quick glance, Kei raced through the city with an injured Fujikuro in tow.

_Iria's domicile, now:_

Iria & Miyasha were astonished by Kei's story.

"My goodness, Kei!", Iria said. "You risked life & limb to get Fujikuro out of that situation & away from that creature?"

"It was either that or allow that Yautja to take _Fujikuro's _skull like he took _Koomba's_, Iria!", Kei said in defense. "I couldn't let that happen! Could you?"

Taking a look at Fujikuro, who stared back at her, Iria smiled slightly.

"No, Kei…I wouldn't have let that happen either", she says kindly. Iria moved in closer to Fujikuro. "You _owe _her a 'thank you', mister…and _I'll _make sure that you don't _forget _to."

Fujikuro simply grunted.

"But we _still _have a problem, Iria!", Kei says. "With Fujikuro currently in no condition to do _anything _but regain his strength, Miyasha's got _no one _to storm that facility he spoke of!"

"That's where you're _wrong_, Kei", Iria says, getting to her feet. "Miyasha _does _have someone to accompany him over there."

"_You_, Iria?", Miyasha says. "But didn't your boss Bob put you on a leave of absence?"

"Yes he did, Miyasha. But one of those Yautja _attacked _me here in my own home, not to mention did so to each & every one of _you_. And with the fate of Bob currently unknown…" Iria gestured to the broken monitor where her boss used to be. "I simply can't sit this one out, especially not with the Tedan Tippedai in possession of such deadly weapons & technology at their disposal."

"You mean…?"

"Correct, Miyasha: you searched for me for a month to assist you in stopping your former employers from making alien tech as part of their own, but I foolishly refused due to some…personal problems I've been having in the past year since Zeiram's defeat. I won't sit on the sidelines anymore, & should Bob find out – _if _he's even still _alive_ – that I've cut short on my leave of absence & went on a mission against his orders, then I'll accept _full _responsibility for _and _the consequences of my actions."

Listening to Iria's words gave Miyasha a rejuvenation like he never felt previously: before, when he asked Iria for the first time to accompany him in taking down one of the Tedan Tippedai's operations, she turned him down.

But now, she was ready to join this ex-employee of the company she, Fujikuro, Bob & even Kei hated more than anything & put a further crippling blow to them.

Miyasha smiled warmly.

"Glad to have you aboard, Iria", he says as said person returned the gesture.

"Happy to _be _aboard, Miyasha", Iria replied. "If only I _could've _done it before, but…"

Miyasha placed a gentle finger to Iria's lips & slightly shook his head.

"No need for regrets or even apologies of any kind", he said. "Bob knew what was best for you at the time. But if he _was _here right now, I'm pretty sure he'd _want _you to go with me on this, leave of absence or not."

Iria nodded, knowing Miyasha spoke true.

"Yes he would", she says.

Fujikuro gave a slight cough, which was actually a laugh as all eyes turned to him.

"Trust me, Miyasha – once Iria gets it in her mind to _do _something, she's _committed _to it", he says with a small grin. "Even an army of _Zeirams _couldn't keep _her_ away. And now that attitude's rubbed off on Kei here."

"Iria _is _my inspiration, don't forget", Kei says, smiling with the rest. "I knew that her landing on Taowajan last year _wasn't _by chance, but by _fate_."

Iria gave the matter some thought & nodded.

"You know something, Kei? You could be right", she replied. "Truth be told, I felt _lucky _to have landed on your home world. And I'm honored to be your role model, since you believe there's nothing that I can't do."

A thought entered Kei's mind, & her smile vanished as soon as it appeared.

"Maybe not _nothing_, Iria", Kei says. "Despite your talents, is it _really wise _for you & Miyasha to head over to that complex alone? Just the two of you?"

"You needn't worry, Kei", Miyasha assures her. "Just before I left the compound, I secretly downloaded a map of the place on a miniature hard drive. I can rig up a portable 3-D map on our suits to help us find our way with ease."

"And sending in a whole army will only complicate matters, Kei", Iria adds. "They'll simply retaliate with an even bigger army of their own, giving us no chance of bringing it down. With it just being Miyasha & myself, we stand a much better chance."

"Sounds like you got all the basics covered, Iria", Kei says. "So, how soon will you & Miyasha be on your way over there tonight?"

"Sorry, Kei: as anxious as we are to get started, it's getting pretty late in the evening, & we're _all _pretty strung out of shape after what _we've_ went through. Therefore, we'll rest up here in my home & commence with the takedown tomorrow during sundown."

"Let _me _take the first watch, Iria…just in case any of the Yautja decides to make a _second _house call", Kei said.

"Thanks Kei, but that won't be necessary: despite the damage done to the monitor, I still have an operating radar that can spot an intruder from more than 100 feet away. Trust me: we'll get an early warning of the Yautja if they try another attack, even if their invisibility cloak is activated."

"Sounds good, Iria. Let's rest up, everyone – tomorrow's a _big_ day!", Miyasha says.

"Kei, you can take my brother's bed. Miyasha & I will take mine."

Nodding, the young girl gets guided by Iria to the bed her brother Gren used to sleep in to crash right after Iria activates the radar to keep a close watch for intruders. Once up & running, Iria & Miyasha do the same in her bed.

Fujikuro, needless to say, was _already _asleep due to his injuries & flinching slightly now & then because of the med-patch working on fixing his wound: the patch may help in a big way, but the process makes its wearer itch like the Devil.

Nothing Fujikuro can't handle, as he learned from many years ago that pain builds character.

In no time, the inhabitants of the domicile – from owner to guests – were fast asleep.

Many yards away, Eagle was making his way back to the ship that carried him & his crew to Myce, where both Hawk & Bison also awaited. Once aboard, Spike walked up to Eagle & noticed the wounds he received.

Cackling echoed the room as words in their tongue were exchanged.

"**I see that, unlike Hawk & Bison, you have received wounds** **from **_**your **_**quarry**", Spike says.

"**Yes**", Eagle answered. "**The human female called 'Iria' is an even **_**more **_**worthy opponent than we had first realized. I can admit with honor that I was **_**lucky **_**to escape with my life during our quarrel. Request permission to attend to my wounds so that I may be back on the field.**"

"**Permission granted. I'll need **_**all **_**my hunters in their best shape if we are to successfully reclaim what is rightfully ours.**"

Placing an arm over his chest in salute, Eagle heads off to the medical bay of the ship.

"**With our failure of the specified humans, Commander, how should we proceed in our mission?**", asked Hawk.

"**Despite our failure to capture them, the humans can **_**still **_**be of a great asset to us**", Spike commenced. "**It is known that **_**they **_**have even **_**less love **_**for the humans that stole our soldier – Scout – and all his gear, & are thus plotting to bring down those responsible for it. Therefore, our goal is simple: we all but need to follow Iria & her companion – the male human named 'Miyasha' – to their destination, which we will storm ourselves & make the ones who believe that they can use our very own weaponry & technology against us pay!**"

Fists get raised as roars of approval echo throughout the ship, each one eager to get their hands dirty with the blood of their enemies. Since their society began, the Yautja have always taken steps to ensure that their technology can never be captured by enemy hands & used against them.

For the most part, they've been successful at it.

But now, _some _of them have actually _succeeded _in grabbing their gear before steps could be taken to prevent it.

There was only _one _answer for such a heinous/blasphemous act.

Payback.

And while they may not know it, Iria & Miyasha are going to assist them in their plan for vengeance; when they finally deliver it, it will be with lots of blood spilled.

They can hardly wait.

**CHAPTER V**

_Stardust Desert, the following evening:_

For most of the day, Iria, Miyasha & Kei got very busy getting the former two ready for their trip (& raid) upon the Tedan Tippedai facility, storing every piece of weaponry, gadgets & other essentials they can bring that wouldn't restrict their movements in order for them to perform their task as quickly & thoroughly as possible. Miyasha gave Iria & the rest a quick rundown of their plan during daylight hours, doing so several times by using the 3-D maps from their gauntlets & studying the layout intently.

Once the plan was set, they simply needed to play the waiting game.

The only problem with the plan was that the facility is located within the Stardust Desert – an area Iria was placed at when Bob used the TranSat Gate to teleport her & Zeiram during their final confrontation. It was infamous for the fact that when the sun rises up on the sandy terrain, the light makes it glow as if it were a giant mirror which can blind anything that looks directly at it, an experience Kei came close to discovering for herself when she went to pick up Iria after Zeiram was beaten.

Iria hated to admit it, but she _had _to give the Tedan Tippedai credit for placing their facility in such an area that, for the most part, is avoided by the majority of the populace on Myce: any interlopers that enters the area can get blinded by the shining glare each & every morning.

This is why they're waiting until sunset to make their move.

As with her final battle with Zeiram, Iria suggested that they use the TranSat Gate to take them at least halfway to their destination, leaving at least a good two hours before they arrive. Miyasha took the controls of his Kreper as Iria sat alongside him, checking her weapons & gear to keep them in working order, the crystal canopy up. Along the way, Miyasha asked as to why Iria had such bad blood between her & the Tedan Tippedai – a story Iria was now comfortable sharing with Miyasha, as she now knew full well he's _against _his former employers.

Iria didn't skip on the details, let alone sugarcoat it: she explained about the discovery of Zeiram on the Karma space station when they went to rescue hostages trapped there with it, the battle between the indestructible creature & Gren's final battle with it, the destruction of the base, landing on Taowajan & meeting Kei there before getting back to Myce, the Tedan Tippedai's attempts to silence her & Fujikuro to cover up the truth before it can be discovered, learning her older brother Gren was absorbed _into _Zeiram & forced to fight him, the climactic battle between creature & bounty hunter in this very desert, & so forth.

Hearing the details in its entirety gave Miyasha a very sad & angry feeling deep within the pit of his soul: he felt absolutely _terrible _for Iria, having forced to go through such a nightmarish ordeal & losing good friends along the way.

It pissed off Miyasha even more than usual, & his hate for the people he once worked for grew exponentially for what happened; _he _has about as much loathing & abhorrence for the Tedan Tippedai as Iria herself does, & like her, he vows to make up for it in any way he possibly can, beginning with his current mission.

"Iria, I really don't know what to _say _about your dilemma against the Tedan Tippedai…except that I'm _honestly _& _truly _sorry for it all", Miyasha said. "Of _all _the years I've worked for them, I _never _would've guessed that they would go so far as to harness such a horrible creature to use in their bio-weapons division. Truth be told, I didn't even _know _of what I & others were actually _working _on at the time until you told me just now. In a way, I'm pretty much _responsible_ for all the death & destruction Zeiram caused during his rampage. _That's _something I wanted to _tell _you at the time I found you at the Clambake, Iria, which I _should _have. I felt like I _owed _it to you."

From behind him, Iria placed a hand on Miyasha's shoulder, causing him to turn around.

He was surprised to see her _smiling _instead of having a face of scorn & loathing.

"Please don't be so hard on yourself, Miyasha", she said. "You were _hardly_ the _only _one who'd been kept in the dark about Zeiram. I'm sure you know just how much they like to keep their dirty little secrets exactly that…secret. It's how they operate since coming into power."

"Isn't _that _the truth", Miyasha adds. "In the Tedan Tippedai, you don't ask questions whenever you're given an assignment: with _these _people, it's always 'you do _exactly _what you're told & _how _you're told to do it, or you suffer the consequences'. They're not shy about putting fear into their employees, using it in every which way they can. They _also _don't care on whothey have to hurt or even _kill _to get their point across. Only _money _motivates these people; as far as _they're _concerned, we're all _expendable _to them."

_That's not much different from what Fujikuro told me only last year…before Zeiram arrived_, Iria thought.

"I know _precisely _what you mean by that, Miyasha, as I've been in that situation myself, needless to say", replied Iria orally. "They think they're some kind of _gods _because of their power, so we're going to give these people _another _dose of reality by shutting this operation of theirs down. But now that I gave _you _a quick history lesson about _my _past, there's something _I _need to know about _yours_."

"What would _that _be, Iria?", Miyasha wondered.

"For _one _thing, you seem to know an awful _lot _about the Yautja. Considering your vast _knowledge _about these alien creatures, I'm guessing you share something of a _history _with them, am I right?"

Miyasha smiled in praise of her deduction.

"Brains as well as brawn & beauty, Iria", he said. "I _like _that."

Iria smiled from the compliment.

"You're right, in any case", Miyasha went on. "It's pretty much of a…sad & tragic story, for starters. Something like yours, yet still different."

"You lost people you knew & loved to them", Iria said, not a question.

"Got it on the first try, Iria. Fact is, my parents – my father Guiza & my mother Mavis – were well-known big-game hunters on the planet Saulin, which is mostly a lush steamy jungle-like world with many kinds of exotic animals living in it & a handful of big cities where most of us reside in. My parents made their living in hunting big-game, going after the most deadly & dangerous creatures that lived on the planet with us. What's more, they always took _me _along with them, wanting me to follow in their footsteps. For many years, it's worked out real good."

Miyasha paused to let Iria have it sink in so far, plus for a dramatic effect.

"And then _they _came", he replied after ten seconds.

The young man continued on with his story as Iria listened intently to every word.

_The Planet Saulin, years ago:_

Like it is on most days, the jungles were sticky with heat & humidity as animals & insects created a cacophony of noises everywhere they went & looked, from chirping to boisterous bellowing by the largest of creatures. A trio of people – two adults & a young boy – made their way through the dense/thick foliage, using machetes to hack away the worst of it when it impedes their path. The first adult is a man with short-cropped blonde hair, while the woman by his side had a head of long red hair that was done up in a bun. Their son – who was about 5 or 6 years old – had short but spiky brown hair, & carried a smaller machete but was still capable of cutting through branches & leaves with ease.

Each of them wore olive green outfits with brown boots & white hats to keep the intense heat off.

The man & woman were well-built with powerful physiques, & along with many sharp knives, they were armed with handguns & powerful rifles/shotguns with plenty of ammunition for each.

All of them were also equipped with a canteen filled with fresh water, which they took a sip of before resuming on their trek.

Sweat ran down Miyasha's forehead even with the hat, wiping it away with his arm.

"How much _further_, mom, dad?", he asked. "We've been traveling for over an hour & haven't seen any sign of it since we _started_."

"Patience, my dear Miyasha", his mother Mavis said. "On a hunt like _this_, you can't _rush _it. Don't you remember what we taught you about hunting game like the one _we're _hoping to find on this day?"

Miyasha took a breath & exhaled it before answering.

"Heading into a hunt half-cocked can prove to be all but _fatal_."

"Bingo, son", said his father Guiza. "I know how overwhelming it can be to get your hands on a prize you long sought for. Believe me, I get that. However, the _last _thing you want to do on this or _any _hunt is to speed up the process. I've seen too many good hunters – friends of ours – who lost their lives on safaris because they became too impatient & went in _without _knowing the full story first. _That's _why it's important to get _all _the details & wait until the _perfect _moment to strike. Your mother & I didn't survive all these hunts by being _careless_, you know."

Little Miyasha couldn't argue with that: not only were his parents _good _at hunting game, they took every kind of precaution to ensure their survival. It was a trait that kept them alive for all these years, & even helped to give him life after a successful kill of a deadly bird nearly as big as a house.

And her mom was _pregnant _with him at the time!

Miyasha learned a lot from that, & his parents always gave him the best advice, never leading him astray once.

"No dad…you didn't", he said admittedly.

The trio paused in their step as Guiza turned to his son.

"That's my boy…I _knew _we taught you well!", Guiza said with a smile. "But let me let you in on a little secret. Our prized catch we're after today? They like to stay near water, as they prefer to keep themselves completely hydrated in the steamy weather, plus they can swim about as fast as any fish. And since we're about a half-hour's trek from the nearest lake, there's a very good chance that we'll _spot _one there."

"You mean…?", Miyasha asked hopeful.

"That's right, hon", said Mavis. "If we're lucky, you'll be able to _see _it for the first time in your life!"

Miyasha's eyes lit up with excitement as the thought of seeing this prized catch before anyone in school ever did _would _make _him _as popular as his parents, especially once they actually kill & bring the carcass home to show everyone.

Eager as he is to see it, he remembers the rule of patience in their quest.

"Let's get _going_, then!", he said. "We're not getting any _younger_, are we?"

Guiza & Mavis laughed in good spirits.

"No we're not, son!", said his father. "Let's move!"

Nodding, the family of three headed deeper into the jungle.

Like a natural-born hunter as his parents are, Miyasha trekked through the dense foliage without pause or even a single complaint, hacking away at anything that stood in their way. At one time, a spider the size of a house plant came down from a branch & tried to put the bite on his mother.

Using his machete like a sword, Miyasha drove the blade through the large arachnid, pinning it to the tree & thus killing it. Seeing her son take care of the situation made Guiza & Mavis proud that their son saved both their lives.

On the planet Saulin, a bite from any of the spiders inhabiting these jungles would mean death for those that don't get the wound treated at their earliest conveniences.

With a nod & warm smile from his mom & dad, the family continued their trek.

Nearly thirty minutes passed before they hear the sound of water rushing – and something else.

Placing a finger to his lips, Guiza urged Mavis & Miyasha to remain silent as they nodded before proceeding.

Using extreme stealth & making as little noise as possible, the trio came up to the end of shrubbery which then revealed a large patch of open grassy field over 60 feet everywhere, with a large lake past it as a large waterfall spilled its contents from overhead at the other end.

But what _really _caught the family's attention was the thing that resided within this grassy field: a large quadruped of a reptile-like creature that has five toes on each foot, all of them ending in claws that looked capable of tearing their way through even the toughest metals. Along its back & long tail were thick overlapping plates that protected it from serious harm, with vertical curved spikes on each side that pointed backwards. The head was something to be both wary & afraid of: it sported a pair of powerful jaws with large teeth that were as big & sharp as daggers, with some being a few inches longer than others. Its eyes were keen & predatory, blinking with ferocity as monstrous as the rest of it.

In complete measurement, the thing was 15 feet long from the tip of its snout to the end of its main body, with an extra 15 feet in length to include the tail, which had something of a paddle at the end that enabled it to swim with ease in the water.

A 30-foot-long monster stood before the family as it was tearing off chunks of some large animal that was too mangled up to identify, swallowing them whole with sickening noise.

Miyasha stared at the reptilian beast with awed silence & agape eyes/mouth.

His mother & father were no different.

"Wow", Miyasha said in a whisper. "Mom, dad, is that thing…"

"That's right, baby", Mavis said with a smile in a low voice. "You are looking at the most dangerous predator on _all _of Saulin…the _Gilic!_"

"It's said that _anyone _who tries to bag one of _these _monstrosities for a prize has _never _returned!", Guiza put in. "Despite their large size, the Gilic can move with the grace & agility of a _cat_, & its ferociousness knows no bounds: if you're in the _sight _of this thing, you probably wouldn't have a chance in _hell _of escaping its fury, as they've been known to reach a velocity of more than 25 miles per hour whenever they run down their prey. They have absolutely _no _natural enemies, & they fear _nothing_. Nothing at all."

Guiza unslung the rifle from his shoulder, with Mavis doing the same.

"But _today?_", he says, silently cocking his weapon. "They're going to learn to fear _us!_ You ready to go, my love?"

"All set, hon!", Mavis says, cocking her own weapon before turning to her son. "Watch closely, Miyasha: _you're _about to see _history _being made here today! We'll be even _more _famous _and _richer by day's end, just you wait!"

Guiza & Mavis get themselves in position with their weapons as Miyasha stood & watched his parents do what they excel at. Over in the distance, the Gilic continued to tear off chunks of its kill & swallow it whole, unaware that it is now a target for a hunt. It kept eating like nothing was wrong.

Then it sensed danger nearby, & it stopped in its feast as it looked around.

Guiza & Mavis stopped themselves & used the cover of the brush to keep hidden from their target, with Miyasha doing the same. The family disappeared just before the Gilic briefly looked their way.

Its gaze turned another way, & the beast rose to its full height – 12 feet in all – on its legs, trying to pinpoint the source of the disturbance.

Peering through the cover of brush, the family watched the Gilic closely.

"You…you don't think it _saw _us, do you?", Miyasha asked softly.

"No, baby: we dove for cover _before_ it could spot us", Mavis said. "I'm sure of it."

"Honestly, I don't think it's _us _this thing's trying to find", Guiza said. "That's what it seems like to _me_, anyway."

Guiza made a correct assumption: the Gilic was looking in places _away _from where Miyasha & his parents were seeking cover in, its focus elsewhere. A strange scent was picked up by its nostrils – one the creature never knew before, & it gave out a low, menacing growl to ward it off lest it becomes its dinner along with its current kill.

As if in response, a series of cackling erupted in the main vicinity that caught both prey & hunters' attention.

The family searched themselves to see where they came from.

"Did you hear what _I _just did?", Miyasha asked his parents, who both nodded. "What made _that _sound?"

"I don't _know_, sweetheart", Mavis said. "I've never _heard _a sound like _that _before."

"And neither have _I_, for that matter", Guiza admitted.

Without warning, two things happened almost simultaneously: the Gilic unleashed a blaring roar that echoed for many yards just before several objects appeared from within nearby trees. Miyasha & his parents strained to see what it was they were looking at: what might look like a dozen distortions in the air were actually _moving _around the Gilic, which was on full guard & growling angrily, displeased at having its meal interrupted.

More of the cackling occurred before each weird shimmer vanished as a dozen humanoid _things _stood in their place: each one stood over two meters tall in height, wearing armored gauntlets on their shins, forearms, shoulders & chests. Harnesses adorned their backs on the left side, & their faces were concealed by metal masks that were different in style as they were in color. Long jet black 'hair' draped from behind their heads & on the sides, with gold braids that were embedded in them.

"oh my _god!_", Mavis said softly. "what _are _they?"

"I've _never _seen…things like _those _before!", Guiza said. "Not in _all _my hunting trips before _or _after we married!"

"so…what are they _here _for?", Miyasha asked.

Neither his mother _or _father had an answer for him, but they _all _had the feeling they were about to find out.

The Yautja led by the one called Spike – wearing silver armor & whose facemask _had _spikes sticking from it, as his name suggests – took a long object & brought it up front before pressing a button. In the wink of an eye, the thing extended to three times its original length with a very sharp blade at each end, transforming it from a club into a deadly glaive. Three more do the same, with some taking out other weapons that were just as deadly-looking: discs that all but sprouted six long curved blades, while others drew what appeared to be miniature cannons mounted on the arms of their rear harnesses. A pair of Yautja even unfurled a long whip which was barbed from the base to the tip.

But no matter what they chose to fight with, _all _of them extended a pair of jagged blades from their right forearm cuff, with some being twice as long as the others. One even had wrist blades from _both _its cuffs.

Armed to the teeth, Spike & his band of Yautja – Scout, Bison, Eagle, Hawk & seven others – were ready to go claim a prize originally planned for Miyasha & his parents.

Much as they wanted to join in, the family were outmatched & outnumbered in every sense: they have no idea _who _or _what _these creatures are, & the weapons they see them with could only be a _fraction _of what's in their arsenal.

Any attempt to interfere could very well cost them their lives.

The _only _thing they can do at the moment is watch, as the fight was about to commence.

With a roar from Spike, it does.

In response, the Gilic also roared as Spike & his clan become a tumbleweed of activity: those with bladed discs each threw them in a simultaneous manner, striking the beast along the sides with their weapons. Having the very same protection in said area of the Gilic, their blades hardly did any damage as they returned to their owners who catch them with ease. During that time, three of them rushed in with their spears to get more up close & hope they inflict wounds on the creature if they were right next to it. With all their might, they jabbed their weapons into the beast & had better success: the points went in several inches into the flesh of the Gilic, which roared in pain as blood is drawn & thrashed around like a wild buck. Two of the Yautja that wounded it were thrown several feet by the unexpected maneuver, but the third one still held on tight as the Gilic continued thrashing. This Yautja then used his wrist blades to jab into the flesh of his prey, anchoring him in place while taking out his spear & getting to the top of the creature in a swift motion.

Even during all the Gilic's thrashing, he still managed to keep himself steady.

On the ground below, his comrades gave him an assist as Spike, Scout & another Yautja each used their shoulder cannons to further wound & confuse the creature, causing a few areas that got blown off by the intense blasts as chunks of flesh were blasted off. This _really _enraged the Gilic, & it started to go on the offensive: with one of the Yautja it's shaken loose before, the Gilic used its clawed foot to first puncture the hunter with its deadly points before caving in his chest with a sickening crunch, sending lime-green blood & inner organs spraying everywhere. With the other one it knocked off, his facemask was thrown off from the impact to reveal the hideous crab-face beneath. Despite the soreness in his limbs, this hunter was ready for more.

Except he _wasn't _ready for what came _next_: his eyes & mouth widened as the Gilic came right at him & literally bit off his head with its massive jaws in a single strike; in one moment, the head of this Yautja was staring at certain death coming at him with no chance to avoid it.

In the next moment, his head was _gone_, leaving only a bloodied stump where it once was as lime-green fluid now spewed where it once rested. The headless body fell like a house of cards onto the ground.

Bison & another Yautja attacked using their barbed whips to strike the Gilic with, which caused bleeding cuts at everyplace they landed upon the thing's flesh. When the Gilic retaliated with its jaws & clawed feet, Bison dived for cover to avoid a serious mauling or impaling. His companion wasn't so fortunate: with its clawed feet, the Gilic ripped him in half at the waistline, sending his top half flying in one direction while his legs simply fell like timbering trees.

Each spewed blood from the open wounds.

Those with bladed discs gave their weapons another shot as each were thrown as one, & _this _time, they penetrated deeper into the Gilic's skin & getting embedded in it. The creature bellowed as metal blades pierced its flesh, going in further than previously. In its rage, the beast charged after those that wounded it as Eagle, Hawk & Spike jumped clear of its deadly maw & avoiding becoming appetizers. As Eagle & Hawk had put distance between themselves & the Gilic, Spike slid under the creature & used his glaive to give his prey deep, bleeding cuts/punctures from underneath. These actions caused the Gilic to roar furiously, as the creature's underbelly had no protection from sharp weapons like Spike's glaive. The clan leader even jabbed his weapon underneath the chin of his prey, causing the Gilic to swivel its head from side to side, hoping to dislodge its attacked.

No such luck: Spike held onto his weapon the whole time, keeping a tight grip as he went along for the ride.

His distraction of the creature gave his clan the chance to launch an all-out assault: Eagle, Hawk, Bison, Scout & all the rest used whatever weapons they had in their arsenal. Flashes of blue-white energy made reasonable wounds on its skin, as spears, Y-shaped darts & other deadly projectiles get thrown at the Gilic, which fought back with the ferocity of any wounded animal.

Scout launched a pair of Y-shaped darts at the Gilic, but the thing moved in a speed which belied its great size & dodged both. One of them went into the bushes where Miyasha & his parents were taking refuge in, going past them by inches & getting stuck in a tree trunk. Miyasha silently went over to where the Y-shaped dart was & yanked it out with ease before looking at it briefly before stuffing it in his pocket.

He returned to his parents to resume watching the fight, which intensified.

One of the Yautja hopped on the tip of the Gilic's tail just below the fin-like paddle at the end & repeatedly jabbed & slashed with his wrist blades, hoping to sever a piece of it off. It turned out to be a fatal mistake: the Gilic notices the usage of blades at the end of its tail & vehemently swung it in one direction, cracking it like a whip. The swift movement caused the hunter to lose his grip on the appendage & he went flying, heading straight towards one of the nearby trees.

The tree he headed for had a large, long branch sticking out from its bark, & this Yautja gets impaled onto it from behind as the branch entered his back & broke out in the chest, straight through his heart. Blood sprayed from the exit wound as the Yautja hung from this branch, his head sagging to one side.

Spike was finally shaken loose by the Gilic, which tried to crush him underneath its clawed foot. But Spike more than anticipated such a move & slid over to one side to avoid the grisly fate one of his clan met before. In retaliation, Spike fired his shoulder cannon & blasts a chunk off its right leg, causing the Gilic to bellow out in anguish. When the creature went to snatch up Spike in its maw, the Yautja clan leader swiped at it with his glaive which caused a massive cut in its side.

Another Yautja hunter fired at the Gilic's left leg with _his _shoulder cannon & caused equal damage. But unlike Spike, this hunter couldn't escape getting snatched up in the creature's jaws as the Gilic put the bite upon the hunter's left arm. Jerking its head with a snap, the Gilic threw its would-be attacker over to the forested area, ripping his arm off in the process. The unlucky hunter was thrown straight into a tree head-first which exploded like an overripe fruit upon contact, thus splattering brains, blood, flesh & metal everywhere before the body slumped to the ground.

The Yautja that made it on top of the Gilic used his spear to continuously stab the beast & making several dents into its armor plating until losing it after a while. Unfettered by the loss, he unsheathed a sword from its hilt & picked up where the spear left off, causing deeper punctures that bled like miniature fountains. The Gilic bellowed loudly from these punctures, making it more frantic as it shook its body to shake off its attacker on top.

Only by holding onto one of its spikes on top prevented the Yautja from getting thrown off.

Realizing that swishing its body from side to side wouldn't work, the Gilic gave its body a powerful jerk upwards which did the trick: the alien hunter on top was pushed up & off the beast's armored back like it was ejected by a giant hand. As he came back down, he was snatched by the legs into the Gilic's giant maw before getting gobbled up. Hawk was slashing at the creature with his barbed whip when he saw his comrade getting pushed down the beast's gullet.

And something else.

While he was sliding down the Gilic's throat, the Yautja grabbed a grenade with his right hand & started pressing buttons. Hawk gave a warning to the rest of his clan in a series of cackles, which quickly gets picked up by Spike & the others. Immediately they put themselves a distance away from the Gilic, which was still swallowing the Yautja it caught in its maw as the grenade was beeping & counting down.

The Yautja was down the throat & into the Gilic's chest when the grenade suddenly exploded. The blast blew a large hole on the Gilic's left side, showering the area with flesh, organs & blood of a red & lime-green hue. With a last boisterous roar of anguish that was heard for yards in the immediate vicinity, the Gilic collapsed to the ground with a thud, let out a final gurgle of blood from its maw & finally died, its tongue hanging out.

Spike & the rest of what remained of his crew – Eagle, Hawk, Bison, Scout & another Yautja – raised their fists & roared in triumph, having claimed one of the most dangerous & worthy prey since the Xenomorphs as their prize.

But while _they _were in a joyous mood after such a hard fight, Guiza & Mavis were anything but.

In fact, they were downright _furious_.

"I don't fucking _believe _this!", Guiza said. "We've waited _years _to find a Gilic & collect its head & carcass for a prized trophy, & when we finally _do_, what the fuck happens? A group of humanoid…_things _literally show up from right out of nowhere & _take _it from us! Who _do _they think they _are_, anyway?!"

"Are we going to just let them _get away _with this shit, hon?!", Mavis asked.

"Not a chance, sweetheart! These damned things have _no right _to jump in & take this golden opportunity away! _We're _going to take what's rightfully ours, & if they dare to get in our _way_…"

"Mom, dad…can't we just look somewhere _else _for a Gilic?", Miyasha says. "I'm sure there's _another _one close by if we look hard enough. Let them _have _this one."

"Sorry sweetheart, but we can't _do _that!", Mavis said. "This is _our _claim, & we'll be _damned _if we just allow a bunch of humanoid _freaks_ to come & take it away!"

"Got _that _right, hon!", Guiza said. "Wait here, Miyasha: we're going to _teach _these freaks some _manners!_"

"Mom, dad…_please _don't", Miyasha begged.

"It'll be all right, sweetheart. Don't you worry", Mavis says as she & her husband rose from their hiding place.

Rifles in hand, the husband-&-wife hunting pair walked over to Spike & his clan.

"_Hey!_", Guiza shouted, getting the Yautjas' attention. "I don't know _who _or _what _the fuck you things are, but you are _trespassing _on our claim here! This Gilac is _our _prized trophy, so pack your shit & _leave _this area – _before _we blow you all to whatever _hell _you creatures crawled out of!"

To prove his point, Guiza aimed his rifle at the nearest Yautja – Hawk – with his finger on the trigger.

With a swipe of his glaive, Spike sliced Guiza's weapon cleanly in half as the front end fell to the ground.

Guiza, Mavis & even Miyasha – who stepped out of hiding himself – stared at the unexpected move as Spike gave a grunt & a gesture, indicating to leave the area – or else.

Spike & his clan turned back to their objective, ignoring the humans that suddenly appeared.

"Don't you _fucking _turn your back on _me!_", Guiza snapped as he wouldn't take the hint: he ran up to Hawk & swatted at his back with what remained of his rifle, letting out a battle cry doing so. Immediately, Hawk turned to face him & snatched Guiza by the throat with his right hand, lifting him up as his feet dangled over a foot off the ground. In a second or two, the shoulder cannon on Hawk's left harness swiveled & aimed directly at Guiza's chest. The man tried fighting to get himself free, but Hawk's hold on him was solid.

A shot of blue-white energy emerged from Hawk's cannon & blew a hole through Guiza, splattering his innards all over the grass & even onto Miyasha, who stood in disbelief at what just happened.

Same with Mavis: she stood in utter silence as she saw her husband get his innards spattered on the terrain their prey was inhabiting. Hawk callously tossed the body onto the ground.

"Guiza?", she said softly, who was also covered in his blood & innards.

Looking up at the Yautja, her tone rose in pitch along with her temper.

"You…_motherfuckers!_", she bellowed, raising her weapon at the Yautja Scout & pulled the trigger.

Bison stepped in, grabbed Mavis' rifle & pointed it skywards before the first volley of bullets came out. After the weapon fired five shots, Bison pulled it vehemently out of her hands & into his own before breaking it in half & tossing both pieces away. Unfettered by the loss of her gun, Mavis pulled out a large survival knife & came at Bison, raising her weapon over her head before bringing it down.

Scout intervened by slicing off Mavis' knife hand with the wrist blades on his left forearm cuff as both flew off & left her right wrist a bleeding stump. Mavis cried out in pain as she used her free hand to staunch the heavy bleeding from what remained of her wrist. It wouldn't matter: almost immediately after lobbing off her hand, Scout swiped at her with the blades on his right forearm cuff to make two deep diagonal cuts across Mavis' chest as blood spewed from the wounds before falling over & landing on her back next to her deceased husband.

Like Guiza, Mavis' eyes stared up at the open sky, seeing nothing.

"Mom? Dad?", Miyasha said softly, walking over to his parents as his mind tries to comprehend what occurred.

Getting within a foot of their corpses, Miyasha got down on his knees, feeling like his body suddenly became too heavy to support him & stared at the bodies of his mother & father, ignoring the Yautja's presence.

Only when Hawk & Scout walked up to & cackled at him did the young boy acknowledge them & looked up as he waited for his own life to end; if he was to die upon this day, he will do so with his parents.

But he never did: Spike called for his two clan members to cease & desist, recalling that one thing they _do not _do is attack unarmed, helpless prey…especially not children.

Gesturing towards the carcass of the Gilic, Hawk & Scout turned & headed back to the task at hand.

Throughout it all, Spike & his clan ignored Miyasha completely.

_Stardust Desert, Planet Myce, now:_

Miyasha continued filling Iria in on that day's events as they raced across the desert sands.

"The Yautja didn't even _acknowledge_ me when I was crying over the death of my parents", he said solemnly, the memory leaving him close to crying anew. "They simply went to work collecting the Gilic's skull & their dead, leaving _me_ with my grief & their bodies. I couldn't tell how long I sat there before I was found by a group of hunters, who had asked me what happened to my parents. Only thing was, I couldn't speak a single word: I was in total paralysis by the events that took place on that day & they took me back into the city, where I was questioned by the authorities for hours on end before they put me into a rehab facility. I spent six months in that place, receiving hypnosis treatment from the doctors that practically _wiped_ the Yautja from my memory before they were convinced I was ready to reenter society. Once I was out, I moved here on Myce to start afresh, getting work at the Tedan Tippedai & doing whatever jobs they placed in front of me…and the rest you know."

Iria listened to every word Miyaska spoke.

Her own emotions were building up inside her, hearing about Miyasha's first run-in with the Yautja & losing his parents to them as a child. Iria _knew _a thing about losing family to such a violent force: the fate of her brother Gren as he was absorbed by Zeiram was still fresh in her mind, & for the past year it's haunted her whether she was awake _or _asleep, making her unstable especially at her job.

She's the _best _person to understand Miyasha's grief & sorrow, with Kei being another as she lost her good friend Komimasa when he died by the hand of one of Zeiram's creatures.

Despite her emotions, Iria still played it like a pro.

"Now I see _why _you have such a deep loathing for the Yautja, Miyasha", she says. "Even though you've had your memory of them erased by that therapy you endured, seeing that Yautja last month when your ex-boss Terenoda set out to capture it…"

"That's right, Iria", Miyasha stepped in. "Upon seeing that damned thing, it _all_ came flooding back to me like a living wave. Truth be told, when I fired upon that creature as it was trying to escape us, I _deliberately _wanted to shoot & kill it. And I really _should _have, if we're being honest. I would've done us all a _favor_."

"No, Miyasha: Terenoda would've undoubtedly killed _you _on the spot had you killed _it_. And it would hardly have slowed them down either: they would've just waited until the _next _Yautja paid our planet another visit. You _know _how adamant & overly protective the people in the Tedan Tippedai are of their investments, whether it be right here on Myce or even from somewhere beyond the stars. Besides…I never would've met _you _if that happened."

Iria came closer to Miyasha until she was right next to him before whispering in his ear.

"And I'm _so_ glad I _did_", she says, planting a kiss on his cheek.

Getting that kiss on his cheek from the bounty huntress gave Miyasha a surge of strength he never felt before.

He smiled in spite of himself. And so did Iria.

"Point taken, Iria", Miyasha said. "When I was alone, I neither had the strength nor the courage to go up against my former employers _or _begin to take down their operation. But now that _you're _herewith me…"

Iria herself also felt a sense of renewed strength: not since her brother Gren has she felt this way about somebody who not only has a deep loathing for the Tedan Tippedai, but also share a tragic event in their families, even if they _are _different from one another. Yes, Miyasha _did _once _work _for the Tedan Tippedai, but he didn't have much of a choice: having lost his parents when he was no more than a kid to a bunch of alien hunters & thus having his memory wiped clean of them, & so forth.

Now, however, he's willing to risk life & limb to bring down a facility owned by the people he once worked for, sacrificing everything in the process, with Iria as his golden ticket to make it a successful mission.

With that in mind, Iria has _more _than forgiven Miyasha for being with the company that she loathes with every inch/fiber of her person.

They plan to put a serious hurt on these people, as surely as night follows day.

Suddenly, after 20 more minutes of traveling across desert, a shape with bright lights appeared in the far distance.

Even from their point of view, Iria & Miyasha can see it well almost as if it were closer.

"Is _that _the place, Miyasha?", Iria asked.

"You _bet _it is, Iria", Miyasha replied. "The Tedan Tippedai's dirty little secret they wish to keep from the public. It's up to _us _to make sure it _stays _secret."

_And they keep it out here in the Stardust Desert, away from any prying eyes_, Iria thought. _Clever, you pricks, but _not _clever enough!_

Eager to reach their destination, Miyasha picked up speed on his Kreper. With every minute, the facility gets even bigger in view the closer they approach. It was a rectangular-shaped complex with rounded corners on each side, with a base length of 500 feet, a width of 370 feet, & a height of 200 feet. There were no towers on the top of the facility, but its roof was smooth & curved like a box top. Its coloring is a dark gray which made it nearly invisible in the night, its coloring helping it to blend in with the immediate area.

It possibly _would _be invisible, were it not for the lights shining at certain areas along the sides.

Along the base of the facility, the duo can see several Dempadans & Krepers placed in front of the entranceway, each of them unoccupied. It made both suspicious & approached with caution: just because these vehicles _look _deserted, it didn't mean that they _were_.

"Honestly, Miyasha, I'm not too crazy about just going in through the front entrance like this", Iria says, getting her pistol ready just in case.

"Truth be told, Iria, neither am I", Miyasha admitted. "We're much too _conspicuous_ doing so, & if we get spotted by anyone either out here _or _inside before we can even get started in our task, our cover & chance will most likely be blown wide open. Don't forget: _I'm _not even supposed to be anywhere _near _this place, as _I've _been given my _own _'leave of absence', as it were."

Miyasha's remark made them both smile briefly.

"But considering the circumstances, we don't have much of a choice", he said. "We're getting _inside _this place, even if we have to _shoot _our way inside!"

"_I _certainly won't have any problem with _that_, Miyasha!", Iria says, cocking her gun.

Miyasha nodded as he agreed completely, knowing his companion was right: no doubt the place will be crawling with heavily-armed guards everywhere, making sure nothing interferes with the operation going on inside. It was _most _important for everyone involved, especially for Terenoda & Professor Kouza, as this project of theirs & their employers was essential in the company after the disastrous Zeiram project last year, & they will do _anything _to ensure its safety _and _success.

Therefore, the mission Iria & Miyasha are to partake in this evening is one of utmost stealth: get in, sabotage their work as best they can without getting spotted, then get out. Pronto.

A task that looks & sounds simple enough in theory, but both knew that it wouldn't _go _as simple as they hoped.

But knowing they would probably _never _get a second chance at bringing down this facility & preventing alien weaponry/technology from falling into the wrong hands, it was their _only _option.

Whether they make it out alive or not, one thing is for certain: if they _are _going to go down on this night, they'll be sure to take down Terenoda & his facility _with _them.

Regardless of the outcome, this factory doesn't stand another day.

Iria & Miyasha _vow _to it.

Approaching the front entrance, Miyasha cuts the speed of his Kreper as he & Iria carefully check around for any guards that might be occupying the vehicles in case they were looking for any interlopers/saboteurs.

Luckily, they didn't locate a single soul: coming up to a hidden garage, Miyasha entered a code from his vehicle's console which opened the door that was perfectly concealed from view. With _these _doors, you wouldn't know they _are _there until they made their presence known.

The Tedan Tippedai was _good _at certain aspects, they had to admit.

But it still won't save them in the end.

Entering the garage, Miyasha spots Terenoda's own personal Kreper resting comfortably inside the large-spaced area, knowing this was _his _personal garage/parking space. The mere sight of his vehicle made Miyasha wish that his ex-boss was inside it this very moment so that he could blow it up along with him.

Fighting the urge, he enters the space as he runs into something he never expected: a lone guard that watched as the garage door opened up on its own & seeing Miyasha pull in with his Kreper. As the lights flickered on & the door closed, the guard came up to Miyasha, who retracted the crystal canopy.

"Miyasha?", the guard says.

"That's me", he replied innocently.

"What are _you _doing back here? I understand the boss gave you _strict _orders to keep _away _from this place until further notice!"

Looking inside, the guard spotted a large cloth laying right behind him.

"And what's _that?_", the guard asked, pointing to & eyeing it suspiciously.

"Personal items", Miyasha replied. "It's okay: Terenoda _lifted _my curfew from this place, & now I'm…eager to get back to work on this important project of his."

The guard was still skeptical about the situation.

"_I _certainly wasn't notified of any such thing", he said. "I'm going to have to call this in."

As he reached for his communicator, Iria popped up from underneath the cloth & aimed her gun at him.

"I don't think that'll be _necessary!_ Now _put _your hands up!", she ordered. "If _either _of us sees you reaching for that communicator of yours, you _know _what will happen!"

Looking over to Miyasha, the guard can see that he, too, has a gun pointed at him.

"If you want to live through this, I'd do _exactly _what she tells you to, mister!", Miyasha said firmly.

Having no choice that won't get him shot, the guard complied & raised his hands.

With her gun still trained on him, Iria leaped out of the Kreper & approached the guard before she gave him a hard fist to his face which knocked him out completely as he fell to the floor. Miyasha reached for some rope he stuffed in his vehicle & got out to help Iria wrap the man up before placing him in a corner.

"Okay. Getting in wasn't _too _bad", Miyasha says. "But _now _comes the _really _hard part. You remember the plan, Iria?"

"Like I do my own name", she replied, drawing up the 3-D map Miyasha equipped her with as she traces it with her finger. "We each head over to the storage unit – which is very scarcely occupied – and go our separate ways through the ventilation shafts. From there, we make our way over to the two generators that bring power to the entire facility & plant our detonators on each one."

"So far so good, Iria. As we can clearly see, they're both located almost at the very center of the complex, being only about 100 feet apart from each other, separated by a wall. You take the one on the left of the place, & I'll handle the other on the right. Once we set the timers, we give it 45 minutes before they detonate, giving _us _enough time to not only make it on _back _here, but also to put distance between us when they blow this place sky-high."

"In other words…don't be late."

"Exactly. We do _not _want to be anywhere _near _this place once the fireworks start."

"You really thought this through, Miyasha. His did you manage to _get _all this information, anyway? Downloading it like you did would've raised _some _eyebrows."

"It would, indeed…_if _I hadn't used an encrypted code that utilizes in special blocking, preventing _anyone _finding out that their systems _were _being hacked, much less where it _came _from. In short…I took the information right out from under their own noses, & nobody was none the wiser."

Iria smiled at hearing of Miyasha's accomplishments: the only other person that could most probably match him at taking computer info was Bob, which was _saying _something.

Like Fujikuro, Kei _or _even Miyasha, Iria still doesn't know if her boss & friend is still functioning after the damn Yautja invaded her home the other day & smashed the console Bob was 'resting' in.

She'll worry about that later: the job comes first, & _then _see if she still has a boss or not.

"Clever, Miyasha", Iria said. "If you don't make it as a bounty hunter, you'll do well as a noted computer expert, among other things."

Miyasha chuckled slightly from that.

"Perhaps", he said. "But I _am _pretty decent in a fight, so maybe I can be both when this is over."

"I'll hold to you on that, Miyasha", Iria says. "Let's begin."

Nodding, Miyasha pointed to an overhead ventilation shaft that was large enough for each to fit inside & have room to spare. Nodding herself, Iria steps on Miyasha's pre-offered cupped hands to give her a boost, which she accepts. Once she was secure, Iria was lifted up into the shaft & went right in, weapons & all, without much noise or difficulty of any kind. Miyasha made a leap for the shaft & caught the end of it on the first try before dragging himself inside. As Iria lead the way & Miyasha followed, the duo crawled on their hands & knees as quickly but quietly as possible making their way through & listening for any sudden noises that might deter their progress.

A bumping noise abruptly caught their attention, & the duo ceased in their trek to listen.

It occurred a few more times before stopping altogether.

"What was that?", Iria whispered.

"I don't know", Miyasha whispered back.

"Do you suspect Terenoda might be onto us after all?"

"Can't say for certain, but we can't stop now, so let's keep moving. We're almost there."

Without another word, the duo continued on as they headed further down the shaft, listening to any more sudden sounds. After four more minutes, they reached the end of the line: Iria took a peek out of the shaft to see a whole bunch of materials that looked to be either discarded or haven't been used in ages. She explained to Miyasha what she sees, & he announced that they arrived at the first part of their destination. Putting her head back inside & removing her rifle off her shoulder, Iria made an incredible U-turn with her body as she placed her legs at the entrance & faced Miyasha.

"Wow", was all he could say at her maneuver.

Iria smiled as she backed up & exited the shaft, holding onto the ledge & jumping down with ease.

Miyasha handed Iria her rifle as she took it before he himself made his way out of the shaft, only doing so forward rather than do what Iria had done. Squatting on the ledge, Miyasha basically slid down to the floor, which was only a few feet & landed with almost no sound. Iria was as impressed by _his _maneuver as he was of hers.

"All right, we've made it to the storage unit without a hitch", Iria said.

"That we did, Iria", Miyasha says. "And it's here that we now part ways, as per our plan." Miyasha pointed to the shaft directly ahead of them. "_You'll _be taking _that_ shaft which will take you over to the generator on the left side of this place, while I…" He pointed to the only door to the room. "Simply walk out the door."

"In plain sight? Won't somebody recognize you if you get spotted?"

"Not unless I blend in seamlessly."

Iria wondered what Miyasha meant when he suddenly started taking off his clothes to reveal a soldier's uniform underneath his attire, placing a cap upon his head & stuffing his spiked hair inside that closely kept his face in shadow. The bounty huntress became intrigued by Miyasha's clever thinking: he _has_ found a way to blend in with the crowd of the facility, looking just like any other guard in the Tedan Tippedai Corporation.

Had Iria not known the truth, his disguise would've fooled even _her_.

"You're just _full _of surprises…aren't you, Miyasha?", she said with a smile.

"That I am", he joked. "Ready to _really _get this show on the road?"

"You bet. Although…I _do _wish you were going _with _me rather than having us split up."

"As much as I'd _love _to accompany you, Iria, you _know _this is what we agreed upon. But don't worry: I have _tons _of faith in your abilities to see this through."

"It's not _that_, Miyasha. It's just, well…"

"It's just _what_, Iria?"

Both teammates stared at one another, frozen in motion & unable to say anything further at the moment. It had a more stronger effect on Iria, as she was overwhelmed by a surge that washed over her entire body like a wave: not since her older brother Gren has Iria felt this strongly about someone in her life, as her heart was palpitating rapidly while in Miyasha's presence. Is she really drawn to him as something more than just a partner on a job? It _does _make sense that they share common interests, but to Iria, she believes it's _much_ more than that.

Oddly enough, Miyasha feels the same way about her.

"It's…nothing, Miyasha", Iria finally says, breaking out of her trance-like state. "Let's get this done. But first…"

Taking a few steps towards Miyasha, Iria reached up & planted a kiss on his cheek, holding it there for about two or three seconds before withdrawing.

"That's to wish you good luck", she tells him, smiling innocently.

Miyasha does the same, a bit embarrassed. He leaned down & returned the favor.

"The very same to you, Iria", he says. "Like you said, let's finish this. You still got the communicator that I gave you?"

Iria nodded.

"Excellent", he said. "Let's stay in touch when we can, but at _this _point, let's refrain from contacting each other as much as we can _unless_ it's a real dire emergency. This _is _pretty much a stealth operation after all."

"Copy that, Miyasha", Iria said, going over to the shaft that will lead to her destination.

"Do you need another boost to get up there?", Miyasha asked.

With a quick leap, Iria caught hold of the edge before turning to him with a smile.

"I think I can manage. See you later", she says with a wink before entering the shaft & disappearing from sight.

Miyasha allowed himself a little chuckle, admiring her tenacity & little tease.

Playful flirting aside, it was time to get to work.

_Right above the facility:_

The Yautja spacecraft (in full cloak mode) hovered directly above the Tedan Tippedai facility as Spike & about 60 of his clan members – which includes Bison, Hawk & a patched-up Eagle – gathered their weapons/gear & prepare to enter the building, each one all but ready to deliver their brand of justice to those that dared to take what is theirs.

His glaive in hand, Spike addressed his clan in his tongue.

"**For over a month of this planet's time, one of ours – Scout – has been taken by these humans who, even as we speak, are attempting to make their own weaponry based on technology that belongs to us. In all that time, we could not locate our missing clan member due to the fact that the humans have somehow prevented us from tracking him through his equipment. But now, following the two humans named Iria & Miyasha, we have finally found what we seek. Now is the time to reclaim our stolen property & make those responsible pay with their very lives! Are you **_**ready**_**, my clan?**"

A cacophony of roars & raised fists – some with weapons, others with none – became his answer.

Spike nodded in full approval, as _he _was just as anxious to mete out punishment as they were.

"**Excellent! Let us **_**begin **_**this hunt!**", Spike replied, getting another wave of cheerful roars & raised fists.

Opening the underside of their craft, a series of ropes dangled as Spike & his clan slid down to the roof before each one was redacted into the ship & the hatches closed. Staying at over 20 feet from the building's roof, the craft had remained where it was as Spike & his people activated their own personal cloaks by pressing a few buttons on their left forearm cuffs, turning each one into a two-meter-tall blur.

Cloaked & armed to the teeth, Spike & his clan attempted to make their way inside.

_Inside the facility:_

As Iria made her way through the shaft, Miyasha took a quick peek out the door to see how many personnel were present. To his surprise, he saw only one walking down the hallway, his back to him. He was attired in the exact uniform Miyasha hijacked from the place before leaving it one month ago.

Breathing a collective sigh of relief, Miyasha waited until he rounded the corner & disappeared before he stepped out & closed the door as silently as he could & started walking away.

His gun in hand, Miyasha began his trek.

Like with Iria, he wondered if he'll see the bounty huntress again after this mission, if they're even successful: his own heart beat madly when he was near her, the girl's presence in his was intoxicating. It was like nothing he ever felt before in his life, which was filled with tragedy since seeing his parents killed by the Yautja.

Miyasha will do whatever it takes to make _certain _that he & Iria survive this ordeal so that he can be with her again.

But he probably can't do this alone, & as Iria did before she left, Miyasha wished to be by her side to help him finish this.

Then it dawned upon him: maybe he can't enlist Iria's help at this critical moment, but Miyasha _might _know of someone who _can _help him.

Miyasha's plan is about to take a little detour.

Where he needed to go wasn't far from his current position, simply an elevator ride & a three-four minute walk: going down an empty hallway, Miyasha headed for the door that was marked 'Professor Kouza's Lab' & checked the console next to it to see if it was locked.

It was.

He anticipated as much, but he came prepared for just such a contingency: digging into his pocket, Miyasha took out a lockpick & began fumbling with the locking mechanism with it. Keeping a close eye out for any passers-by, the former Tedan Tippedai employee saw it blissfully empty & kept his concentration upon his work. For a full minute, he was so intent on his work that he never even noticed the guard standing behind him until he spoke.

"Well well…what have we _here?_"

Soon as Miyasha turned around, he was clobbered in the face with the butt end of the man's rifle. His vision had become a mottle of white before turning into pitch black.

Falling to the floor, Miyasha doesn't even realize he's being picked up by the guy who had hit him.

**CHAPTER VI**

Like always, the facility is bustling with activity as technicians make multiple checks on essential data, making sure their calculations are 100%, with no errors: the Tedan Tippedai's made a _huge _investment on this operation/project since their discovery years ago, & now with the moment of truth at hand, there could be _no _margin for mistakes.

Their employers' tolerance for sloppiness of any kind is non-existent.

Luckily for _their _sake, everything seemed to be in perfect working order, according to the readouts.

"It all looks good on _this _end", said one tech. "And you?"

"No problems, from what _we _can decipher", replied a female. "But we'll need the results from the branch over on the East Wing, & we're still waiting for _their _response."

"You can't get in _touch _with them? Why not?"

"We've already tried contacting them several times on the speaker, but they never answered. Either they've got a faulty transmission suddenly, or some _fool _probably has it shut off."

"It better _not _be shut off!", said another tech. "The boss gave us strict orders to keep in constant touch with our findings at all times, lest there'll be _hell _to pay! Try getting them on the comm again…and they _better _answer!"

One female tech was about to carry out the order when there was a sudden knock on the door as all eyes turned to it. A male & female tech got up from their seats & approached the door, opening it to reveal a man from the East Wing standing perfectly still. His face was blank & unreadable.

Neither West Wing tech were too happy to see him.

"And what's _your _goddamn excuse for not answering our calls the first time?!", snapped the male as the man said nothing. "Forget it – we don't want to _hear _it! What we _do _want to hear are your current calculations on this project, so let's have them!"

Still the man remained silent, looking straight ahead.

"You better not tell us you don't _have _anything new to offer!", said the female. "Do you know what will happen to us – _any _of us – if we don't stay on top of this every hour? The boss will have our _heads _for not keeping him posted on these…"

As she spoke, the man started to lean forward until he landed face-first on the floor with a thud.

Everyone in the room gasped in horror to learn that not only was the man dead, he had a large disc-like object in his back that was stuck halfway. A sudden cackling noise came next, followed by a trio of red dots that just appeared on the man's forehead. When he looked up, he saw a distortion in the air before a flash of blue-white energy came right at him, blowing his head completely off his neck in a shower of flesh, blood & bone.

Like the scientist with the disc in his back, he collapsed to the floor in a puddle of his blood.

The female wasn't so lucky either: before she knew it, she was gurgling on her own blood as something whooshed past her, opening up her throat as she used her hands to staunch the bleeding. It was futile: she was leaking her bodily fluids from her neck & mouth uncontrollably before she also fell to the floor, staining it with crimson.

She was dead before she even touched ground zero.

All the others were horrified at the fate of their fellow technicians, & their dilemma was about to get worse: three more shimmers in the air joined the one that killed the other three before deactivating their cloaks to reveal the Yautja stand in all their glory. One was holding a spear of some kind, with another having a six-bladed disc that resembled the claws of some wild animal. The last two extended their wrist blades, one pair stained with fresh blood.

Putting their fear aside, the technicians reacted as they were trained to: not only did these people figure out any & all equations like scientists, they were also trained to use firearms, & each one pulled out a gun from within their lab coats & aimed them at the four intruders in the room.

The Yautja were quick to respond.

As the door closed, sounds of guns firing & screams of pure terror blared within.

_Down the hall, three minutes later:_

"East Wing, West Wing, come in, over", said one of the three guards in his communicator.

There was no answer. From anyone.

"East Wing, West Wing, we need an update on the data to bring to the boss, now respond!", he said more firmly.

His reply was the same…not a word.

The man cursed under his breath.

"You don't think they _forgot _to give hourly updates, do you?", said the second guard. "I wouldn't want to be in _their _shoes if that were the case."

"Neither would we", said guard #3. "But all the same, we'd better head over to the West Wing & see what the _hell _is wrong with them, & _why_ they're _not_ answering!"

"You read my mind. Let's go!", said guard #1 as they marched down the hall.

Each of them was worried about the situation not for the sake of the technicians, but because any sloppiness upon anyone is met with harsh punishment, & everyone _knew _this fact when they signed on for the project.

None of _these _guards were going to take the fall for it: if the techs were slipping up in their duties, they will be reported to the boss & dealt with properly.

Approaching the door, the lead guard opened up to go inside, not even bothering to knock or answer on the comm.

When the door parted ways to allow entry, the guards stood petrified with fright as everywhere they looked was a horror show: the bodies of the technicians were laid out everywhere, some whole, others in pieces. The consoles were all blown apart as well, with monitors & the like sparking electric voltage & shorting out soon after. Two technicians were even impaled to the wall: one by a spear, the other by a large disc with six curved blades.

Every last bit of their new data was destroyed on the consoles, & leaflets of papers were stained with blood.

The three guards wondered what could have caused this carnage as they stepped further inside the room to inspect it more thoroughly. When they were all the way in, a cackling noise erupted that put them on instant high alert. It didn't do them much good: almost instantly they were attacked from out of the blue by a group of shimmers in the air that made short work of them. A pair of guards were skewered by sharp blades that pierced their chests through the heart & causing instantaneous death. The third one was grabbed by the neck as he cried out for a second before it was snapped by a loud _crack_.

He laid limp like a rag doll in the Yautja's hand, who now materialized with his brethren.

Bringing the dead guard close to his facemask, the creature appeared to study the corpse hanging from his hand before tossing it away like a discarded tissue.

With these enemies incapacitated, it was time to make the rest pay.

Activating their cloaks, the Yautja hurry out the room, leaving the dead behind.

_Elsewhere:_

Just like a cat on the prowl in search of its prey, Iria swiftly but silently moved herself through the vents, trusting the miniature 3-D map Miyasha installed for her, giving her unrestricted details of the facility. The holographic map is of a huge help to Iria: she never even _knew _this factory/facility was in existence, let alone property of the Tedan Tippedai corporation, until Miyasha came along & gave her all the details of it; who's in charge, what his game is, the location, & so forth. And now, thanks to Miyasha, she is inside this place of her most loathed adversary – the Tedan Tippedai – and ready to deliver her brand of justice against this soulless corporation that has made life a living hell not only to her, but for _all _of Myce.

She will do so with pleasure.

All she needs to do in getting started is find one of the facility's generators, completing phase one.

Iria paused to check her map & see how close she is to her destination. Her screen shows a small flashing red dot that blinked without a sound, indicating her & her present location. It was followed by the green blinking of the path she is to take, giving her directions on where she needs to go. Wasting no time, Iria turned off her map & resumed her trek through the vent.

Nine minutes passed since Iria continued on through, never stopping or even slowing down in her pace. Finally, she approached the end of the vent & was blocked by a grate, unlike the other ones she crawled through. Getting up to & peering through it, Iria took a peek of her new surroundings: a large rectangular-shaped room that measured about 100 feet in length, 50 feet in width & 40 feet in height from floor to ceiling. Halfway in between was a metal walkway with railing ran across the room on each wall, with the longer walls both sporting four doors on each side on level with the catwalk. On the main floor of the room what Iria can see is a stairway on either side to enable access to the walkway, followed by rows & rows of equipment & machinery all stored on metal shelves underneath the walkway. They were lined up like obedient soldiers, with technicians going through them like searching through the library.

Aside from these people & the soldiers keeping watch on things, the main floor was empty of personnel.

Iria quickly checks her map to see if there was another way past this area, & if she could go around the room in the vents rather than having to go _through _the room in plain sight.

No such luck: to get to the other side, Iria will _have _to go through this room despite the risk of being spotted.

She cursed silently to herself: there was no other vents she could take to help her get across without having to use the walkway, knowing her chances of being detected & even shot at were fairly high. The bottom line was clear: if she wants to get to where she needs to be & accomplish her part of the mission, she'll _have _to take that chance.

_Well, Miyasha _warned _me this wouldn't be easy_, Iria thought.

Digging into her pocket, Iria took out a pen-shaped object & placed it at the horizontal bars on the right. Pressing the button, the object emits a small & quiet red laser which cuts through the bars as if they were made of cheese instead of metal. She repeats the process on the opposite side & sliced through them again, taking each one & silently removing them with hardly a sound. Once all the bars were removed, Iria pockets the pen & stuck her head out partially to check out the walkway & make sure she's in the clear; if _that _was devoid of any personnel, then maybe it wouldn't be as bad as Iria might think it'd be.

To her relief, the walkway was blessedly empty.

Sighing a relief, Iria cautiously & quietly makes her way out of the vent & touched the walkway without a sound, rifle in hand. Iria had two current advantages: one, she stayed close to the wall to be as less detected as possible, & two, the sounds of equipment being moved around & men chattering to one another drowned out the sounds of her approach.

Her luck holding out so far, Iria quickly makes her way across the walkway, going to her left. She dared not to make a sound if it can be helped: even though she's 20 feet above the floor, Iria took utmost caution in her trek making it over to the other side. There was _always _a chance of someone from floor level seeing her scuttling over & think to use her as a moving target.

Iria used whatever stealth she can muster to make sure it can't occur.

_Just keep on moving, Iria…and don't look down_, she said to herself. _If you don't look down, they won't look up._

Wishful thinking, but it was better than nothing.

Turning right at the corner, Iria heads up the walkway with sharp senses in full working order, alert for even the slightest noises/sights. Getting a quarter of the way, she paused briefly to survey the scene, happy to see she still hasn't been detected as the men below were too engrossed in their work to notice her appearance twenty feet above them.

With the next two steps, Iria's lucky streak ended: hearing a door sliding open, she turned to see a pair of armed guards with rifles step out into the open & almost immediately spot Iria to their left as the bounty huntress' heart began beating rapidly, knowing the jig was up.

The guards were as surprised of Iria's presence as she was of theirs.

"What the hell…?! _An intruder! Get her!_", one of the guards shouted.

Both men instantly aimed their rifles at Iria, who did so with her own: she ducked when they fired their weapons, missing her by inches. Iria, however, _didn't _miss: _her _first two shots struck the guards square in their chests, leaving a gaping hole that bled like fountains before collapsing on the walkway, dead before they hit.

_Dammit! So much for stealth!_, Iria thought, knowing there'll be bullets flying everywhere.

As expected, the guards' cry of an intruder caused those from the floor to look up & see Iria dodge bullets & take down the guards that spotted her. Responding immediately, the guards on floor level were now unslinging their rifles & aiming them at Iria, who moved with cat-like reflexes & raced across the walkway. Iria returned fire as bullets from those below shot at her mercilessly, barely missing her by inches. Giving herself some cover fire, Iria shot & killed a quartet of guards as they collapsed in bloodied heaps. With her free hand, she pulled out a dart-like object & threw it with exact precision at the grate covering the vent on the opposite side of the wall she emerged from. The dart struck & exploded the grate on contact, leaving a gaping hole to enable Iria to simply get into & resume her journey over to the generator room.

She was only fourteen feet from turning the corner.

Iria doesn't make it: during the hailstorm of bullets, one guard aimed a mine launcher rifle & fired at the walkway just a foot or two from the corner.

She didn't even know it was there.

_**BOOM!**_

A powerful blast with the force of two grenades going off at once erupted just before Iria could reach the corner. The force of the blast sent Iria flying backwards many feet, causing her to go over the railing. Shaking off the shock & getting herself oriented in record time, she grabbed a firm hold on the railing with her free hand while shooting at guards as quickly as she could with her rifle. Even with her vision partially seeing spots, Iria's aim was true as several guards were brought down with every shot fired.

But for every guard she brought down, two more took their place & the hail of bullets became more intense.

Iria had to take cover before _somebody_ gets in a lucky shot: attaching a line to the railing, Iria quickly slid down to the floor as she took out more guards before detaching herself. She then went into the rows of shelves of equipment & machinery to use as cover/shielding from the volley of bullets that were shot in her direction. Getting protection from all the rounds fired at her, Iria aimed & fired her rifle in between rounds while moving from shelf to shelf, never staying in one place for more than a few seconds. The barrage of bullets kept going for more than a minute when one of the men decided to literally tip over the scales in their favor, meaning knock over the shelves & getting their quarry trapped underneath a multitude of machinery & pin her down.

Getting ahead of Iria's plight, one man pushed at a shelf with all his might before succeeding in knocking it over to create a domino effect: about five-six shelves were tipped over before crashing into Iria as she was about to fire off a barrage of bullets. Caught unawares by the maneuver, she was buried beneath a spill of machinery, the weight keeping her down. She lost her rifle in the melee, being over a foot away.

Iria reached for it, but was still too far for her to reach.

More armed guards entered the room as Iria struggled to get herself out of her bed of spare parts.

Seeing her predicament made the men grin with satisfaction.

"Caught like the piece of vermin that she is!", said one guard, inciting chuckles from the others. "_Kill _this fucking bitch!"

At his command, the men aimed their weapons at Iria's unprotected head.

No sooner did they obey his order than when one of the men got his head blown off from literally out of nowhere by a blast of blue-white energy, splattering what remained of his head everywhere before the body fell to the floor.

It got noticed by each guard present.

"Jesus Christ! What the _fuck _just happened?!", one of them shouted.

Acting upon instinct, the men scoured the room with their weapons, ready to open fire at the first thing they see which didn't belong in the place with them, their minds temporarily forgetting about Iria for the moment. But even that could not – and _did not _– help them in any way: another man gets his head cleanly sliced off his shoulders by some kind of flying projectile as the weapon returned to its owner while the man's head fell to the floor, followed by his body.

The next several moments became a cacophony of horror: the sounds of the men shouting orders to one another, weapons firing, bones being crunched & broken, & men screaming in terror at the top of their lungs before being cut off filled the entire room as the inhabitants were becoming slaughtered in numerous ways. Left & right, the guards were being impaled by spears, sliced in half by double-bladed glaives, skewered by discs with six curved blades, stabbed by pairs of jagged blades from all sides, trapped in steel mesh nets that embedded themselves to the walls, struck in the heads by flying Y-shaped darts, still others being blown to pieces by shots of blue-white energy.

Every man in the room met a horrible fate, & even those from the walkway weren't spared a gruesome fate.

Iria was busy in getting herself out from under the pile of machinery she got trapped beneath to pay attention to all the chaos going around: giving herself an extra push of strength, Iria managed to get free of the mess & retrieve her rifle. Once she did, she was staring at a showroom of terror: men were laying around in puddles of blood, each killed in gruesome ways from stabbed to death to decapitations. Some were blasted into so many pieces it'd take several weeks for the coroner's office to find each one. Iria even found men stuck in the walls: some impaled by spears & discs, others by nets that dug into their flesh. The room looked more like a slaughterhouse than a work facility as Iria surveyed her surroundings, seeing blood & bodies everywhere.

With this kind of slaughter, only _one _breed of creature is responsible, & Iria knew it.

_The Yautja!_, Iria thought. _The damned things must've _followed _us here!_

Her deduction rang true: almost instantly Iria spotted multiple shimmers in the air before her, each of them turning off their cloaks to reveal their two-meter-tall presence. While Iria pretty much expected to see the alien hunters making an appearance at the facility, what she _did not _expect was to see _so many _of them at one time: each one wearing their facemasks & holding their weapons stained with blood, staring down the bounty huntress with intent to make her their next target. In the blink of an eye, Iria was suddenly peppered with a hail of red dots in a triangular pattern all over her body, looking like she broke out in a deadly case of the measles. With each targeting system that was displayed on her, a shoulder cannon was aimed in her general direction, each of them ready to fire. Iria had no chance in Hell of escaping a multitude of blue-white energy blasts, especially if they fire their cannons all at once.

Even her cat-like reflexes wouldn't be enough to save her.

Iria recognized Eagle in the crowd, seeing the wounds on his body where she shot him at her home.

_Looks like he's about to get payback, along with all his friends!_, Iria thought.

A sharp growl from another unseen Yautja stopped the alien hunters as the final creature deactivated its cloak & showed itself to Iria: this one was close to a foot taller than the others, with silver armor & peach skin with patches of purple. Its facemask sprouted with seven spikes: three on each side with the one in the middle at the top being the largest & had a backwards Z in blue with a dot on each side. In his left hand, it held a double-bladed glaive, the blades stained with blood that still dripped.

Iria was looking at the Yautja known as Spike, the leader of this hunting party.

With a raised right fist & a series of cackles, Spike orders his troops to stand down. Immediately they obey, & all red dots that were plastered all over Iria's body disappear right off the bat before retracting their shoulder cannons & taking several steps back, giving their leader plenty of space.

"…Iria…", Spike said in a clear imitation of Miyasha's voice.

The bounty huntress could tell that Spike wants a challenge against her & himself: his glaive retracted into a club before Spike placed it onto his back, confirming her guess.

"So, you want to go a little _one-on-one_, do you?", Iria called to Spike, dropping her rifle & raising her fists. "Fine! Let's get to it!"

As Iria had done, Spike clenched his own fists & stared at his opponent, cackling an eager challenge as both face one another with fierce determination for several moments.

Then they came at each other, fists raised.

_In a secret room:_

Another rock-hard fist came down on his face, drawing more blood from his mouth & nose. He ached all over for several minutes, but for Miyasha, it felt like an eternity: after getting knocked out, Miyasha found himself sitting in a metal chair, his ankles & wrists shackled in place. The room he was in was completely dark, sans for a circle of light which shined six feet all around, shining upon him like he was the start attraction of a show. A man stood on each side of him, no doubt the same one – or ones – that clobbered & knocked him unconscious. Although his vision was blurry around the edges from the beatings he took, Miyasha could still see well enough that he was in one of the interrogation rooms of the facility. Standing in the shadows in front of him, a man overlooked the ex-employee's interrogation.

Miyasha knew _exactly_ who it was, even if he couldn't see his face.

Terenoda.

"Let's try this _again_, Miyasha!", he demands. "You're only hurting yourself by refusing to answer, so make this easy & tell me what I want to know! _Who's _the girl that came with you, & _why _did you even _bring_ her here?"

"She's my _sister_, okay?!", Miyasha spat. "I merely wanted to show her around the place & maybe _you_ could, say, give her a _job _or something!"

His sarcastic reply only garnered him _another_ punch in the face.

"I'd _watch_ the smartass answers if I were you, dear boy!", Terenoda strongly warned. "You're _already _in more than enough hot water with our superiors at the Tedan Tippedai, not to mention with _me!_ Did you _honestly _think that I wouldn't know of your downloading the readout of this place, so that you can give it to someone to help you take this operation _and _facility down, or even _try _to?! What kind of a goddamned _fool _do you _take _me for?!"

Miyasha's head was lifted up to look directly at him.

"The kind that doesn't fucking know when to _quit _while he's _ahead!_", he barked.

Terenoda remained silent a few seconds, absorbing Miasha's words.

"I've _always _suspected your insubordination to this project of ours, Miyasha!", he replied. "You were always set on _killing _that Yautja creature we captured just last month, weren't you? You've _wanted_ to make sure this project was doomed to fail before it _ever _got off the ground, is that it? Tell me I'm wrong! Go ahead!"

His only reply was dead silence, along with a hard stare.

"All right, tell me _this_, Miyasha!", Terenoda went on. "Why _don't _you think it's a good idea to have the Yautja's weapons & technology in our possession? I'm rather _curious _about your answer, so…humor me!"

"Because like the Yautja themselves, they're downright _dangerous _& _unpredictable_, plain & simple!", Miyasha barked. "Their technology no doubt has tricks & surprises we've never even _heard _of, much less seen it firsthand! Just when you _thought _you've discovered everything there is to know about their high-tech toys, they're going to turn right around & _surprise _you…and it _won't _be _pretty _when it happens! You believe a _month _is enough time to learn all their dirty little tricks & secrets? You haven't even scratched the _surface _yet!"

"Oh, I don't know about that, Miyasha: Professor Kouza studied everything about their weapons & technology in just one week's time, & now our staff has created a working prototype in only _three _weeks! A _lot _can be accomplished in that short amount of time, Miyasha… and it _has!_ But what's _your _point to all this?"

"My _point_, Terenoda, is _this_: you & your staff are fooling around with pure _dynamite_, & sooner or later, it's _all _going to blow up in your _face _when you least _expect _it to! _Any _fool would _know _that, but then, being the egotistical loon that _you _are, you _would _be the one exception to that, Terenoda!"

"No, Miyasha – _you're _the fucking fool! What we have here presented to us is a golden opportunity for a _brand-new era _of scientific technology, an era that can take us to new wonders, new heights, new ideas…"

"New _murder weapons _to kill innocent _people _with & sell them to _criminals & hitmen!_", Miyasha fiercely put in.

His reply got him a new punch in the face.

"Well, we _have _to have _weapons _to _defend _ourselves with, especially if monsters like the Yautja or even _Zeiram _should ever attack our home again!", Terenoda pointed out. "_My _point, Miyasha, is that we've been given the keys to a _very _glamorous kingdom here on Myce – _and YOU'RE trying to fucking bring that kingdom DOWN on TOP of us! _We have waited _years _for this moment to be laid at our doorstep, dear boy, & all _you _& your friend can _think _of is _destroy_ what we've all worked so _hard _for?! I don't _think _so! Miyasha, you've been with us for _quite _a long time! You know _damn well _what we do to _traitors _in our organization! So…you got any smart mouth about _that_, mister?"

Miyasha's reply actually shocked Terenoda.

"Yes! As a matter of fact, I _do!_", he answered. "I should've shot at _you _instead of that Yautja when we went after the damn thing!"

Miyasha was about to get another punch in the face for his answer when Terenoda received a call from the wrist communicator on his suit.

"What is it?", he asks.

"_Sir, we are __**under attack **__this very minute!_", the reply came for all in the room to hear.

"Under attack? By _whom?_"

"_It appears that the Yautja we captured just last month has __**friends **__that have arrived to try & __**rescue**__ it, sir! Plus, there's a lone female who was caught snooping around in the main equipment room! The men engaged in a firefight with her, but they were engaged __**themselves **__by the multitude of Yautja, sir! I __**barely **__escaped to tell you about it! And, there's something __**else **__you should know about the girl, sir!_"

"And what's _that_, soldier?"

"_You __**do **__recall the one that took out __**Zeiram **__last year?_"

"You mean…the one called Iria?"

"_Correct, sir! __**She's **__the one causing all the mayhem among our men before the Yautja stepped in!_"

Terenoda stood silent for a moment or two, absorbing the information he received.

In the darkness that cloaked him, he smiled big-time.

_Excellent!_, he said to himself. _Time to _really _test my mettle!_

"_What are your orders, sir?_", the man on his radio asked.

"Good work, soldier!", Terenoda replied. "You get yourself & whoever's left alive to safety on the double! And don't worry none about the Yautja _or _that bounty hunter bitch Iria – _I'll _deal with them all _personally! _Terenoda out!"

Switching off his radio, Terenoda turned to Miyasha, who looked like he aged 10 years in ten seconds.

"So…it was _Iria _who you brought to try & take our operation down, was it?", Terenoda says. "I have to admit, Miyasha: I was _extremely _pissed that you brought an intruder here, let alone showed your _face _at this facility after I've _suspended _you from it! But now that I know it's _Iria_ that's now causing us such trouble along with the Yautja cavalry who arrived with you both, I'm glad to say that I'm _happy _this happened: it's given me the _perfect _opportunity to _really _put my new prototype suit to the test, & what better way to do _that _than go up against the very creatures whose weaponry & technology this suit was _comprised _of, not to mention the very person who became _such _a headache for the Tedan Tippedai since Zeiram was defeated? You actually _saved _us the _trouble _of having to go _after _her, my dear boy! And for _that_, I suppose I should _thank _you!"

All Miyasha could do was stare burning eyes at his former boss, unable to say anything.

"What, no quick comeback or wiseass answers for me, Miyasha? I'm almost insulted!", Terenoda teased. "Don't worry: after I take care of both the Yautja _and _your friend Iria, I'll be back to deal with _you!_ And once I _do_, you'll wish you really _had _pulled that trigger on me, or even on _yourself _when you had the chance! Men, take his ass away & throw it inside one of the holding cells!"

"Yes sir!", they both replied as Terenoda made his way towards the exit.

Unshackling, the two men firmly grabbed Miyasha by the arm & bicep before he could be given even the slightest chance of fighting back or resisting. They drag him out of the room, his feet gliding smoothly across the floor as Miyasha gets taken down to the holding cell area for Terenoda to deal with later.

One of the men used his key card to open the cell.

It's when Miyasha made his move: he yanked on his arm the guy with the key card held, freeing it in an instant when he let go with his one hand, catching him off-guard. With his arm loose, Miyasha gave the first guard an uppercut which caught him in the chin, throwing his head back & staggering several steps away. At that same time, Miyasha had kicked the man he got loose from in the solar plexus, knocking the wind out of him as he gasped for breath. With his would-be jailers down briefly, Miyasha used the time to dig into his pockets to take out a pair of pen-sized syringes & stuck each of his assailants in the chest. The effects were immediate: both men started getting drowsy even as they tried fighting & resisting its effects before they slumped to the floor. Miyasha quickly disarmed the men of their weapons & dragged each one into the cell that was meant for him.

Miyasha was also an accomplished fighter as well as a Brainiac, which enabled him to throw off pain & attack at a point most convenient for him.

"Nighty-night, assholes!", Miyasha said to his would-be jailers before shutting the door closed on them & locking it but good.

The fugitive ex-employee checks over his stash of newly-acquired weapons: a pair of rifles, ammo for each, along with a pair of knives. He was happy to be fully armed again, so as not to be taken by surprise twice. Despite his new armaments on his person & at his side, Miyasha knew that neither he nor Iria will last too long against both the armed men in the facility, let alone the Yautja that have now invaded it.

If either was going to survive the next several minutes, Miyasha needed a _real _edge by his side.

Fortunately, he remembered _just _where to get it before he was so rudely interrupted.

Making sure he has a skeleton keycard in his possession, Miyasha raced his way through the halls of the facility, keeping an eye out for any signs of guards that might still be roaming around despite Terenoda's order to take cover.

Amazingly, Miyasha met no interference from anyone as he once again approached the door to Professor Kouza's personal laboratory & office. But he didn't take no chances this time: empty or not, Miyasha took quick looks in making _certain _he was alone as he worked on the locking mechanism to gain access. With the sound of a click, the door swung open as Miyasha went in with one of his rifles aimed, ready to shoot at almost anything that moved. Half-expecting to see Kouza himself, Miyasha found no signs of life anywhere in the lab.

Except one.

Behind the strong plexiglass that separates the lab from a jungle-like area behind it stood a lone Yautja creature which was stripped down to its loincloth. Seeing Miyasha approach, the Yautja – Scout – eyed him with curiosity as his rival stopped right at the glass to look back at it with mixed feelings: he thought of his parents Guiza & Mavis that were butchered by the creature & his race while on that hunting trip for the Gilic, & memories along with a quick-rising hate boiled over in Miyasha. Part of him wanted nothing more than to shoot Scout dead for what he'd done that ended his life as a child & avenge his mom & dad. But the _other _part of him said he _needs _the creature, reminding Miyasha to put aside his personal feelings for the moment & concentrate on the task at hand.

His common sense winning out, Miyasha spotted an intercom next to the glass window & pressed the button to speak to it.

"Listen", he began. "I don't know if you can even understand what I'm saying, but…_I _was the one that shot at you out in the jungle last month so that you could be captured. I didn't _want _to do it – I didn't have any _choice _that time. I'm sure you're plenty _pissed off _at me for it nevertheless, & I wouldn't blame you. But _you _also need to understand: it was _you people _that took my whole world away from me when you killed my parents all those years ago! All I wanted was to send you creatures into whatever hell you came from for what you did! But _I'm _willing to put that anger aside for the time being: the people in this facility want to use _your _weapons & technology for their own purposes, & they'll annihilate anyone or anything that gets in the way of their goal, up to & including _your _people, who are now launching a daring raid to make those responsible pay! You & I can either fight each other to the death, or you can help me put a _stop _to these people & bring this place down! I'll let _you _decide what you want to do once I let you _out _of that holding pen they put you in!"

"The _fucking hell _you will, boy!", somebody screamed.

Miyasha turned to the one who shouted, but was too late to react: the man was instantly upon him the second he faced him & grabbed his rifle. As expected, Miyasha was face-to-face with the owner of this personal laboratory.

Professor Kouza.

The man fought Miyasha back with amazing strength, but that shouldn't have fooled the ex-employee too much: in the Tedan Tippedai, one not only gets hired for their smarts, they _also_ get hired if they're able to handle themselves in a brawl, & it wouldn't hurt in the slightest if one can do both – have the brains of a genius _and _fight with ferocity & skill of a trained killer.

Kouza had both to spare, & he was giving Miyasha a grand workout as they fought & struggled for the rifle that Miyasha was holding, with his other still slung over his shoulder. The men thrashed across the room in a battle for the supremacy over the weapon & his opponent. Their struggle gets even more frantic as Kouza placed a hand on Miyasha's face & squeezed with his fingers, causing him to cry out & temporarily blinding him. During the attempt, a pair of shots rang out which echoed the room before Miyasha was forced to release his weapon. Gaining the upper hand, Kouza then grabs full possession of it before kicking Miyasha in his solar plexus, knocking him down as he gasps for air.

"You always _were _a fool, Miyasha, & your current acts _confirm _it!", Kouza says, aiming his weapon at his fallen foe & smiling wickedly. "Only someone with _your _limited intelligence & ambitions would try & destroy something which will take us to heights never before _dreamed _of! Did you really think that we'd let someone with no vision of the future ruin this opportunity, much less take it out of our grasp?!"

"Save the bullshit speech about opportunity, Kouza!", Miyasha barked. "I've heard it all before from Terenoda, & I'm _still _opposed to this sick & twisted operation of yours! Between you & him, it's hard to tell just _who's _the bigger fool, but now I guess it doesn't really _matter _anymore!"

"Indeed it doesn't, dear boy! We are on the verge of a new scientific era, & there's no room in it for fools who are too scared to take a chance at the greatness it can represent for us! With a prototype suit ready for testing, it's now only a matter of time before we start replicating it & fit our soldiers of the Tedan Tippedai with unique armaments that will help us hold _real _power here on Myce, making them & us more powerful than even Vice President Puttubayh ever believed possible! Such a pity that neither you nor your friend Iria will be around to see it bear fruit!"

"Even if you _do _kill me, Kouza, there'll be _plenty others _ready to stop you & your people!"

"They're welcome to _try_, Miyasha, though I doubt they'll have any more luck at it that you or Iria had! _Goodbye_, dear boy – and _please _give your parents my regards!"

Kouza aimed his weapon directly at Miyasha's head, who was no more than a sitting duck even with his other rifle still slung over his shoulder. He silently cursed himself, realizing he'd never get the other weapon ready in time to put one between the scientist's eyes: Miyasha should have remembered that before becoming a professor, Kouza served as a soldier & knew how to handle himself quite well. Even though he's over two decades older than Miyasha, the man was in top physical condition…a fact he proved by besting the young man & now pointing a firearm between his eyes.

Because of his foolishness & stupidity, Miyasha's plan to take down the Yautja operation was now a bust, & he'll be taking Iria with him.

A sound suddenly erupts within the room, giving Kouza pause: coming from behind the literal mad scientist, the man turned to see the plexiglass begin to spiderweb in the center: during their struggle when the rifle went off, the two bullets that were fired hit the window which separated the miniature jungle from the lab, causing twin punctures that all but enabled Scout to exploit the weakness. Kouza's fear rose exponentially: while the glass was shatterproof, it still wasn't _bulletproof_. Shaking like a leaf, Kouza forgot about Miyasha & re-aimed his weapon at Scout, who raised both his fists & brought them down on the glass, shattering it with a boisterous crash. Broken shards flew everywhere & cut Kouza in several spots before he was able to put his arms up to shield himself from the impact.

He still screamed in pain not only because he got cut by passing shards, but also because a few stuck deep into his flesh. The sound of cackling before him made Kouza take his arms away as he stared at Scout standing directly over him, looking down at the man with hateful eyes. Kouza used every ounce of strength he could muster to aim his weapon at the escaped creature, but Scout was too fast: in an instant he slapped the rifle out of Kouza's hands before snatching him by the neck with his left hand & lifting him up to eye level. For a month, Scout was this human's prisoner, trapped in a comfortable but limited area of space as he watched him closely like a bug in a jar while he took apart his weapons & technology – and all Scout could do was watch as he dismantled & reassemble it to his own design.

Scout vowed that once he escapes from his prison, he would make those responsible pay for imprisoning him & taking his equipment.

Now that chance has been presented to him.

"…_Goodbye_, dear boy…!", Scout said in Kouza's voice just before placing his right hand on the man's head & literally tore off Kouza's head & spinal column with a simple yank in a wet/sickening crunch. Blood splattered in many directions, some of it even getting on Miyasha as he watched the horrid display unfold right before his eyes. Throwing away Kouza's headless body, Scout now turns his attention on the rebel soldier, who slowly gets up & was careful not to make any sudden moves to agitate the creature, lest he suffer Kouza's gruesome fate.

Without warning, Scout grabbed Miyasha by the throat & lifted _him _up to eye level before the young man could even blink. Miyasha stared back at the alien creature with no fear.

"Well, if you're going to kill _me _like you did Kouza, then _get it over with!_", he barked. "You've already killed my _parents_, so why don't you just go _finish _the fucking job?!"

Scout moved Miyasha closer to his crab-like face, studying him.

Something vaguely familiar about Miyasha stirred within Scout's memory.

And then it hit him: he saw that this human he now held in his hand was the little boy he encountered on planet Saulin years ago, killing his mother after she & her mate tried interfering in their hunt of the Gilic, leaving Miyasha in a sorrowful state as he cried over the loss of his parents while they took their kill back to their ship.

This human was now grown into a young man, ready to share the fate of his parents.

Scout _has _considered ending his life due to the fact that he was the one that fired the shot which got him placed inside the jungle prison, staying within for a month. It was because of him that the humans have ahold of his technology & weapons, shaping them into anything they desire & have no doubt created something that can be used against their race, turning the hunters into the hunted.

But Scout _also _knew that this human was willing to let him out & push aside his disdain for his people in order to set things right – a trait humans have a capacity for.

Like so many of his race, Scout can respect that.

And he _did _attempt to set him free, which he now is.

"So…what's it going to _be_, creature?", Miyasha asks. "Kill _me _like you did my parents, or help me to _atone _for my mistake?"

Scout stared at his catch for a few seconds before deciding.

He released Miyasha from his grip as the young man was dropped to the floor.

Gasping for breath, he rose back up & stared at Scout back with a steel face.

"…_I'm _willing to put that anger aside for the time being…", Scout said in Miyasha's voice.

"Glad to hear it", Miyasha replied. "Let's go give you a brand _new _target for you to channel all that anger at, what do you say?"

In response, Scout picked up the rifle Kouza took from Miyasha as the young rebel unslung his other one. Scout raised his right arm which held the weapon & let out a powerful roar, indicating he was ready.

"I thought as much. Let's go!", Miyasha said as he & his new partner Scout searched for anything else that could prove to be useful in their task before they rushed out of the lab & into the hallway.

It _is _time to make the _real _enemies pay, & with Scout by his side, Miyasha stood a much better chance than going it alone to assist Iria.

_Wherever you are, Iria, stay strong!_, Miyasha thought. _Help is on the way!_

The unlikely duo picked up the pace.

**CHAPTER VII**

_The main equipment room:_

In a room what was once a place of work & storage became a showroom of horror as the bodies of armed guards & scientists littered the main floor & walkway above, with blood staining everywhere. Most of the human inhabitants were lying dead in puddles of crimson as they were replaced by the Yautja – 60 in all – as 59 of them became observers to a furious one-on-one match-up between their clan leader & the human named Iria, whose fight intensified with every punch/kick delivered.

Each combatant received multiple hits on their person: Spike was mostly unfazed while Iria was feeling them.

Spike extends his wrist blades from his right forearm gauntlet & took a savage swipe at Iria, who ducks to avoid them before landing another kick to his chest & putting distance between them. It didn't do her much good: Spike came at her like a charging animal with great velocity, giving her no time to catch her breath. Thinking & acting fast, Iria had grabbed Spike's forearm once he came within reach. Using all her strength, Iria flipped him head over heels, slamming him onto his back which surprised the alien hunter. Still holding his arm, Iria twists it with all her might to try & snap it at the elbow & render it useless: breaking his arm should help even up the odds for Iria against this alien hunter & win this fight before it gets any more intense.

No such luck: Spike felt the intense pressure on his arm & flings Iria before she could snap the cartilage in his elbow. The swing sent the huntress into a row of fallen shelves, scattering machinery with a portion of it spilling onto her. Getting back onto his feet, Spike readies his shoulder cannon & aims it at Iria, who was also on her feet again as she sees a trio of red dots. Gasping, she dives to her right just as Spike's weapon fired off, hitting the spot Iria was only a second ago, blasting pieces of machinery into molten slag.

It was a shot that would've blown off Iria's arm had she been slower by a second.

Recovering from the blast, she ran as Spike's shoulder cannon fired multiple shots of blue-white energy, blowing away shelves – standing or not – and all their contents to useless scrap. Even bodies that were strewn across the floor got blasted apart, sending limbs flying all around.

One shot got close enough to Iria that she felt the intense heat of it, coming close to scorching her hair & flesh.

_Time to put that toy of his out of commission!_, Iria thought, digging into her pouch.

Dispensing another dart, Iria threw it at Spike's weapon & struck it dead-on even as she was on the move. The weapon didn't explode, but it _did _short out upon contact as sparks erupted from the projectile, causing it to smoke just before it sagged & became useless. Enraged, Spike detached the worthless thing & tossed it away.

Taking his attention off of Iria was going to cost the alien hunter: the huntress charged herself into her enemy at full throttle & slammed into him with all her might, striking with her elbow. Although Spike tumbled backwards from the hit, he was still able to stay on his feet as Iria now gave Spike a series of up-close left & right punches to the alien's face & chest, each one with power that amazed the Yautja clan leader; despite being larger, faster & also stronger, the alien hunter can feel every blow he received from this young but tough female human.

Iria continued her assault on Spike, not letting up for even a second.

She readies herself for another blow with her left fist, but this time Spike sees it coming & grabs it with his right hand, holding it firmly in place. He then counterattacks by raising his own left fist & thrusts it at his female foe, but Iria blocks the blow in almost the exact same fashion Spike did to her by snatching his wrist. The two combatants stare at one another with fierce determination as they both strain to get the upper hand with neither letting up, let alone submit under the intense pressure in this test of strength.

_Holy _shit_, these fucking things are strong!_, Iria thought, using every ounce of muscle in her body to stay firm. _It's no _wonder _why they're such efficient killers!_

Even though she isn't tiring from this strength test any more than Spike is, Iria realized this tactic was getting her nowhere: she squats down almost completely down to the floor before she propels herself into the air as she breaks the grip of her alien adversary before doing a flip & landing right behind the alien hunter. Before Spike can react or respond, Iria does so first by letting loose with a powerful kick to his back with her right foot that actually sends the alien hunter staggering forward before landing upon his hands & knees on the floor.

"So asshole…do you want to throw in the towel?! Or do you want some more?!", Iria barked at the fallen alien, staying on alert for any tricks.

But even that couldn't prepare her for what came next.

"…want some more…", Spike said, repeating Iria's last three words in her voice.

At that same time, Spike swung his left arm directly at the bounty huntress & shot forth a Y-shaped dart from his forearm cuff. With a move so swift, Iria had no time to dodge or avoid the oncoming projectile as it struck her in the left shoulder, drawing blood from the hit. Iria grunted in pain as she grabbed the dart with her free hand & yanked it out, the experience proving to be as painful as the hit itself due to the barbed points & causing her to grunt louder.

Doing her best to ignore the pain, Iria tossed it aside in time to see Spike throw another weapon at her: the disc with six large curved blades which soared through the air at the huntress.

_Oh, _fuck_ me!_, Iria thought.

Iria couldn't defend herself from it in time; instead, she dived quickly to her right with barely enough time before the disc's blades made a cut in her left side. Again, Iria grunts as the weapon returns to its owner & the huntress stops enough to examine the wound: the weapon made a cut on her skin through her armor. Like her shoulder, it wasn't deep enough to be anywhere near critical, but enough to draw some blood.

Her armor was the only thing that saved her from serious injury, but she knew not to push it.

_Be careful, Iria!_, she thought to herself as she watched Spike. _Your armor's _no _protection against those weapons!_

After grabbing his disc & retracting the blades, Spike placed it upon his belt before reaching back to grab his club & pressing the button to extend it three times its original length into a double-bladed glaive. With a rapid yank of his arm, Spike hurled his weapon at Iria, who remained perfectly still where she was. As the glaive drew ever closer, she gets out of its path as it soared by & grabbed the center of it with her right hand. The glaive now in her grasp, Iria does a 180 degree turn & flings the weapon back to its original owner.

Iria's maneuvers happened so fast that Spike was temporarily frozen with shock & even admiration, seeing this young female human with an agility that rivals his own, not to mention his own weapon coming right at him. Spike did not avoid being hit by his glaive as it returned, but he _has _managed to avoid any serious injury by moving his head to one side, hoping his metal facemask is enough to protect him.

His plan worked…to a degree.

The glaive struck his facemask, & while it saved his actual face from a fatal stabbing, the impact was enough to knock his facemask off, revealing to Iria the nightmarish, crab-like face as his mask skidded across the floor for several feet before stopping. The glaive was picked up & retracted by Eagle.

"Good heavens! And I thought _Zeiram _was hideous!", Iria said to herself, staring at the true face of the Yautja.

Spike roared in anger (but more from the turning point than Iria's 'hideous' remark) & extends his wrist blades once more to resume his attack anew: though it became a good workout, he & his clan _are _on a mission, & Iria has been more than enough of a distraction.

Fun & games were over. It was time to end this.

Period.

Leaping into the air, Spike headed straight for the bounty huntress & raised his blades over his head. As he came down, he lands at Iria's spot & brought his weapons down with him to slash his enemy in half. The huntress backed up just in the nick of time to avoid becoming twins, but had no time to get herself in too good a defensive position: right away Spike raised his blades high & brought them down with tremendous force. All Iria had time for was using her arms to block the blow with her hands, grabbing his forearm. She felt like she stopped the swing of a sledgehammer, as she strained to prevent Spike's blades from getting close; she felt herself weakening due to blood loss from her side & shoulder, & knew she wouldn't be able to hold it off for much longer.

Even Spike knew Iria was getting sluggish & weaker, & he wastes no time in taking advantage of that: grabbing her right arm with his left hand, Spike gave his opponent a mighty kick to the chest with his right foot, causing Iria to slide across the floor with such force it felt like her ribs caved in as she coughed violently. Retracting his wrist blades, Spike went over to Iria & began clobbering her once she was on her feet, buffeting her with punches that would bring a lesser human to his/her grave. Iria fought to stay conscious underneath the barrage of fists & a few foot attacks as her vision started getting blurry from the assault, with blood dripping from her mouth.

In a heartbeat, Iria was snatched by her neck in a vice-like grip & lifted off the floor & lifted a foot above eye level. He stared at her before speaking again in Iria's voice.

"…You ready to throw in the towel…?!"

"Is _that _all you _got_, bitch?!", Iria barked at her inhuman enemy. "My little friend _Kei _can hit harder than you can!"

Spike was neither angered nor amused: he threw Iria head over heels a full fifteen feet before the bounty huntress landed hard on her back, her body feeling like every bone got shattered into a million pieces. The maneuver temporarily stunning her, Iria was unable to get herself up before Spike came over & pinned her legs with one of his own & grabbing a firm hold on her neck with his left hand & pinning her down but good. Iria grabbed Spike's to pry it off as she felt the intense pressure, but his hold on her was all but solid. Her efforts were futile: the loss of blood from her side & shoulder, along with the beating she took were making her too weak to do much of anything except watch the final moments of her life happening before her eyes as she sees Spike extend his blades & raised them above his head, ready to separate his prey's head from her body.

And Iria _can't stop him!_

_I'm so sorry, Miyasha…I've failed!_, Iria thought solemnly as other names all come to mind who she'll be leaving behind as she's helpless to prevent the inevitable. _Bob, Kei, Fujikuro, Gren…_

From out of nowhere, a blast of blue-white energy erupted & struck the floor just over a foot from where Spike & Iria lay. The blast knocked both combatants a few feet before they regain their bearings, each one crying/roaring out more in surprise than in pain.

"That's _quite _enough from the two of you!", said a new voice.

Iria, Spike & all the other Yautja looked up at the walkway to see a lone figure with a buzz blonde haircut with a scar that ran from his left eye to the bottom of his jawbone on that side. He was attired in a suit of red armor, with cuffs that covered his feet, shins, forearms & chest. His back sported a shoulder harness, while a quarter of the left side of his face was covered by a metal plate with an eyepiece over his peeper. On his left forearm cuff was a round & flat object which rested comfortably, apparently magnetized to the gauntlet from what they can see. Twin jagged blades protruded from the opposite cuff, going way past the man's fist. With his suit, he looked more like a robot or even a cyborg than anything else. A shoulder cannon on his left still smoked from the shot it fired just now, & he wore a sinister grin upon his face.

Iria, Spike & the other Yautja in the room see an impossibility, yet the proof was literally standing among them: humans actually _have _replicated the alien technology & customized it for them to wear on their person, weapons & all.

Exactly as Miyasha described him to her, Iria guessed this individual's name.

"Terenoda, I presume?", she says with malice.

"You presume _correctly_, my dear!", he replied. "And _you _must be _Iria_ – the bounty hunter _bitch _who took out our powerful bio-weapon Zeiram only one year ago! Your good friend _Miyasha _kindly told us _all _about you! The Tedan Tippedai – most especially Vice President Puttubayh – has a _bone _to pick with you, as they are currently _very _unhappy with your blatant interference as of late, dear girl!"

"Like I _give _a shit, mister! And where _is _Miyasha, you asshole?! What have you _done _with him?!"

"Nothing…yet."

"Terenoda, if you've done _anything _to him, I swear to you on my brother's _grave _that I'll…"

"You'll do _nothing _of the kind, Iria! Nor will you or your 'new friends' interfere with this project any more than you & that traitorous fool Miyasha already have! You couldn't stop it, anyway: what I wear now, dear girl, is mainly a simple prototype for what's to come in the approaching weeks & months! Despite your feeble attempts, this facility of ours _will_ stay in proper working order to do what we've _built _it for – replicate the alien weapons & technology, making it available to _all _of our soldiers in the Tedan Tippedai, creating the _ultimate _fighting force! And lo & behold, it's time to give my new suit & toys a little demonstration – and _one guess _as to who's going to become target practice!"

Immediately, Terenoda aimed his cannon at Iria using his left eyepiece & fired off a round of blue-white energy.

The bounty huntress was a little slow in dodging the shot, but she received help from the most unlikely source: Spike came in & snatched her out of its path before the projectile struck where she was a moment ago. Spike orders his clan to counterattack with their own weapons & bring down Terenoda by whatever means necessary. Obeying, each of Spike's crew take out their spears, discs, shoulder cannons & whatever else they have in their possession to bring down Terenoda, who watched with amusement.

_Oh, _this _is going to be _so _good!_, Terenoda thought, grinning wider.

From his rear harness, a _second _shoulder cannon appeared on his right before he began aiming & blasting away with both cannons in a simultaneous manner, scattering the alien hunters as they dive for cover, firing back.

Iria was taken underneath the walkway by Spike, clearly safe from Terenoda's barrage.

She was a bit confused: when they met, they were engaged in a fierce fight to the death, & yet, he _saves _her from getting literally blown apart by the madman in red just above them.

It suddenly dawned on Iria, & she made it orally obvious to her new 'partner'.

"I think I _get _it now!", she says as Spike stared & listened. "When your people came after us – Fujikuro, Miyasha & myself – you _didn't _do it to make us _trophies _to add to your collection! You were all trying to _recruit _us in _stopping _all this from happening – _weren't _you?"

A nod from Spike was all Iria needed to get confirmation.

"Of course!", she went on. "You were _studying _us to see if we were your best chances at finding this place _and _bringing it down, & you approached us the way your people did in the only way you knew how to _communicate _with us! And when we refused, you _followed _Miyasha & myself here to help destroy it!"

"…You presume _correctly_, my dear…!", Spike said in Terenoda's voice.

"Well…now that I know for _certain _who's _side _you're on, let's go rip this place apart & get that tech back to its rightful owners!"

Spike nodded in understanding but holds out his hand to stop her from rushing into danger. He pointed to Iria's side & shoulder, indicating that she'd be no good in a fight if she collapsed in the heat of things.

Realizing her reflexes were already hampered by the injuries, Iria didn't argue.

"You're right", Iria said. "But let's be quick about it!"

Nodding, Spike tended to them.

Up above, Terenoda fired off endless rounds of blue-white energy at the army of Yautja advancing towards him with his twin cannons, creating holes in the floor & dispersion among the alien hunters. While most were (so far) only stunned by the blasts, some weren't so fortunate: one Yautja got its left hand & part of its forearm blown off, leaving a bloody stump as the alien roared out in anguish; another gets half its leg shot off, crippling him but good; a pair each gets a hole blasted through their chests, spilling alien blood & guts upon the floor; two even get their entire heads blown off, exploding like ichor-filled balloons, splattering blood, bone, brains & metal pieces/circuitry everywhere.

Terenoda continues his merciless assault upon the Yautja, keeping them all at ground level, yet a few were able to reach the catwalk on either side of the high-ranking Tedan Tippedai employee & made their way up. Retracting both his cannons, Terenoda saw a trio of Yautja closing in on either side of him; some were armed with spears, others with razor/6-bladed discs. Acting swiftly, Terenoda aimed his right arm at the creatures to his left: a trio of Y-shaped darts were projected from his forearm cuff like bullets from a machine gun, each one hitting the aliens' necks & going in all the way, killing them instantly before falling as lifeless husks. While his back was turned, one of the aliens on the right launched its six-bladed disc at its target, followed by another. Terenoda quickly heard their approach & used his wrist blades to deflect both oncoming projectiles, sending them into the wall & being stuck there. He then launched his own disc from his left gauntlet which detached & flew straight at the approaching Yautja. During its flight, the disc protruded _eight _curved blades that spun like propellers or fans before slicing off the head of one alien hunter, making a U-turn in mid-air & slicing off another Yautja head before returning to its owner's gauntlet & retracting its blood-stained blades.

Enraged at seeing its companions beheaded, the third hunter charged himself at the man in red, ready to bury its fist in his face. Thrusting it forward, the creature is in shock when he sees it caught effortlessly by Terenoda just before it can even touch him.

"Surprised, are you?", Terenoda gloats with a grin. "A little modification made by my top scientists: not only does my suit give me such fantastic weapons to use at my disposal, it _also _physically enhances my own stamina, speed & strength! Permit me to give you a quick demonstration!"

With almost no effort, Terenoda picked up the alien hunter with both hands & tossed it over the railing as it fell all the way down. The creature hit the floor on its head, snapping its neck & killed on the spot.

Terenoda gave out a little chuckle.

"Anybody _else _want a go?", he teased, spreading his arms like a king. "_I _haven't even broken a _sweat _yet!"

As if in answer to his challenge, several Yautja aim & fire their own shoulder cannons at Terenoda, who dived for cover against the unexpected barrage as each shot struck the wall above his head in a volley of blue-white energy. He dodges fallen, molten debris while avoiding getting blown to pieces himself.

It ended just as suddenly as it began.

Daring a peek over the edge, Terenoda readies his own cannons to fire, but when he peered down, he sees a whole lot of – nothing. Nothing but dead aliens he's already killed.

And shimmers in the air.

Easily catching onto their plan, Terenoda lets out a little laugh of malevolence.

"A clever plan, my friends, but it's _still _not going to _help _you!", he called out, tapping a few buttons on his left forearm cuff.

From his eyepiece, Terenoda's vision switched from normal to infrared, enabling him to view the Yautja's body heat clear as day even with their cloaks activated.

_Gotcha!_, he thought.

Targeting his first few victims with his systems, Terenoda fired with precise & dead-on aiming, blowing holes in every Yautja the balls of blue-white energy came in contact with, each one turning visible once they're hit. More Yautja go down as the power-mad businessman kept slaying his alien adversaries with cannon fire, the use of his flying disc, & even sticking a pair of aliens in a row with a spear he had upon his back.

"That's _right_, you alien motherfuckers!", he cried out, clearly enjoying his wild rush. "The tables have turned: the _hunters _have now become the _hunted!_ So, how _does _it feel, you assholes?! How does it feel to be on the _receiving end _of your very own weapons?! Get _used _to becoming _victims _instead of victors: your days of hunting are _over_, while _our _days of becoming the ultimate soldiers are only _beginning!_"

Terenoda laughs maniacally boisterously, his evil guffaw echoing the whole room.

From floor level, a now-fully-healed Iria watches along with Spike witness the slaughter of the latter's clan. Iria couldn't help but to pity them, seeing them getting butchered by a man who is even more cold-blooded & despicable in nature than the Yautja themselves: like Terenoda, they _are _vicious in a fight, but _unlike _the mad businessman, the Yautja are _not _without ethics. When Terenoda shot at Iria & she couldn't dodge in time, Spike easily could've let her get killed by the blue-white energy, but instead he risked it all by getting her out of harm's way.

Her hunch _was _right: Spike & members of his clan _did _want to recruit Fujikuro, Miyasha _and _herself in stopping this operation before it was too late. They've _always _known who their _real _enemy was, & wished to borrow their aide in bringing them down.

It will now be a more difficult chore: with a prototype suit in his possession, Terenoda is butchering aliens left & right, even though he was outnumbered sixty to one – a number that was rapidly dropping like flies with every passing moment, & was now below half their original number. Unless something gets done real soon, Spike's army will be all but wiped out by this lone individual, leaving only himself & Iria to stop him.

Not good odds.

"I hate to say it, but…", Iria began saying to Spike. "It looks _really _bad for your clan, & it'll be only a matter of time before Terenoda turns his full attention to _us!_ Our _only _chance is to hit him now while he's dealing with the others! Listen – _you _get his attention & draw his fire while _I _devise a sneak attack & hit him when he least expects it!"

Spike nodded, saying he approves of her plan.

"Good! We'd better make this count – I _doubt _we'll get another shot at it!"

Pressing a button on his left forearm cuff, Spike ejects a round silver object that ends up in his palm. He places it in Iria's own, gesturing with his hand to squeeze it. Iria does as instructed, & once she puts the squeeze on the silver ball, her entire form turns into a shimmer like the rest of his clan before releasing the pressure on it & becoming visible again.

_A cute & useful toy!_, Iria admitted to herself.

"Thanks for the use of your little toy here! Ready?", she asked.

Spike replied by heading out into the open while Iria stayed underneath the cover of the walkway, digging into her own forearm cuff. The alien hunter fired a Y-shaped dart from his left forearm cuff directly at Terenoda, who easily dodges it. Seeing Spike heading for a spear from one of his dead soldiers, Terenoda puts an end to _that _idea by firing a shot from one of his cannons & blowing it to pieces before Spike could get his hands on it. The blast knocked the Yautja leader back several feet as he landed upon his rear, then his back.

"Oh no you _don't_, mister!", Terenoda says, behaving like a school teacher who's caught a child misbehaving in class. "_No _formulating any sneak attacks while _I'm _around!"

The maniacal businessman waited a moment before he swung his right fist into some unseen object, which quickly materializes into Iria as she fell to the walkway, losing her cloaking ball in the process.

"That _also _goes for _you_, Iria!", Terenoda snaps.

Iria cursed herself: while Spike kept the man busy, she used her line from her forearm cuff to get herself up on the walkway while cloaked & do a sneak attack of her own on Terenoda.

She was pissed that she failed; Terenoda was more resourceful & clever than she thought.

Several of Spike's clan members wanted to resume their attack on Terenoda, but the clan leader ordered them to stand down, seeing if their new ally can handle the situation on her own accord. As ordered, the Yautja stepped down.

The company man stood over her while Iria lay on the walkway, still reeling from the unexpected hit.

"Stupid girl!", Terenoda snapped. "Did you _really _think that I've _forgotten _all about _you?!_"

"The thought _did _cross my mind!", Iria snapped back with eyes that could freeze or burn the room.

"Hardly! Like I said before, the company – _including _Mr. Puttubayh – is _very pissed_ with you, dear girl: the bio-weapon Zeiram was the Tedan Tippedai's crowning achievement until _you _took that away by destroying it! And I'll be _damned _if I allow you, Miyasha or _anybody _to ruin _this _project, especially since we're now just a stone's throw away from mass-producing this very suit I wear & _all _its armament!"

"That Zeiram creature _destroyed _many innocent lives in its rampage, Terenoda – _including _my brother _Gren!_ You people are _indirectly responsible _for all the death & destruction it caused, & now it seems you plan on adding _more _to your resume by stealing & modifying technology that doesn't even _belong _to you! Is making a sizeable profit _really _the only thing you people ever care about, regardless of how many _lives_ get sacrificed?!"

Terenoda retracted his wrist blades before reaching down & grabbing Iria with both hands & bringing her to his face as they stared at each other with pure hatred.

"_Nothing_ in this world is _free_, dear girl!", Terenoda growled. "I had to _fight _my way through life to get to where I am now, because _nobody _was willing to lift a _finger _to help me! Well, guess what? I am now at a top-level branch in the Tedan Tippedai, second _only _to Puttubayh & his executives! And once I get our 'merchandise' in vast quantities for our soldiers, I'll _be _a part of the executives & steer the company to heights they could only _dream _of before!"

"And you don't care if even _women & children _get sacrificed to get you there?!"

"Nobody ever made an _omelet_ without breaking a few _eggs_, dear girl! I'll sacrifice as many lives as _possible _if it gets me to newfangled heights! You want to survive in this world? You need to be as _ruthless_ as those who want to _stop_ you!"

"How convenient, Terenoda – because _I'm _going to stop you, by _any _means necessary!"

Terenoda chuckled at her statement, finding it amusing.

"You can _try_, child, but if _these _alien shits couldn't do it, what chance would _you _have against me?", he asked.

"I'll fucking _find _a way!", Iria snapped.

"_Look _at me, Iria – I'm _really _scared!"

"You _ought _to be, you _schmuck!_", shouted a voice from behind him.

Once Terenoda turned around, he gets clobbered by some unseen force that staggered him & forced his release on Iria before he hit the wall & went down on one knee to get his bearings. Iria saw a distortion in the air that at first indicated one of the Yautja came to her rescue, but when the cloak vanished, it was that of a young man with brown spiked hair like her own, aiming a rifle at the power-hungry company man.

_Oh my God…!_, Iria thought.

"_Miyasha!_ You're okay!", the bounty huntress said happily, glad to see her new friend still among the living.

"Hello, Iria! Sorry if I worried you!", Miyasha replied without taking his eyes off his former boss, who he speaks to next. "Hi, boss! Did you miss me?"

With a small but malicious chuckle, Terenoda slowly rose to his feet even as Miyasha kept the rifle trained upon him.

"I don't know _how _you managed to escape from my men, let alone your imprisonment, Miyasha, but you're even _stupider _than even _I _ever believed!", Terenoda said. "To actually come here & face me with nothing more than a rifle while _I'm _in possession of some of the most deadly armaments & technology which anybody could _ever _wish to have! I honestly can't decide whether you're very _brave _or very _foolish _to commit such an act, when you're _clearly _more than outmatched! _Surely_ you realize that I can kick your ass & kill you a hundred times over as I've done to _those _alien shits, don't you?"

Miyasha gave his ex-boss a quick fiendish smirk.

"Of _course _I do, Terenoda!", Miyasha says. "_That's _why I took the liberty & privilege of recruiting _another _friend of mine – one's who's just _real _anxious to see you again!"

The mad businessman didn't take Miyasha seriously at first, believing it to be some kind of trick in order for him to gain the upper hand the moment his guard is dropped. Giving the matter more thought, however, Terenoda realized his ex-employee is smarter than _he'll _ever admit. He wondered who else would have a personal grudge against him that wished to settle the score with him.

A cackling sound from his left urged Terenoda to turn in said direction: a shimmer just one foot away caught his attention which abruptly materialized before it disappeared to revealed the Yautja known as Scout stood in all his glory, stripped of his gear except for a silver ball he held in his hand, enabling him to become invisible.

It was the same thing with Miyasha, who held on in his free hand while aiming his rifle at the madman in red.

Scout tossed _his _silver ball to Iria, who caught it with one hand effortlessly.

Once he does, Scout went all ballistic on Terenoda: he grabbed the madman, lifted him up & slammed him down onto the walkway before unleashing his fury on the human that had hunted him, captured & placed him inside a prison, stripped him of his weapons & technology so it could be replicated for his own selfish needs, & now uses it to slaughter his race with ease & for pleasure. While it _had _been Miyasha who pulled the trigger to _enable _him to be captured, Scout knew now that he was only following Terenoda's orders, & he was also given another excuse: Scout _was _the one that killed his mother when he was a boy, so he understood the malice Miyasha shared against his people.

He was even going to _allow _Scout to finish the job he & his clan started back then.

Their partnering up against Terenoda's operation was Scout's way of atoning for it.

For Miyasha, it was enough.

Miyasha gave Scout plenty of space on the walkway for Scout to unleash his rage upon Terenoda, as did Iria.

"I take it you couldn't go ahead with the original plan?", Iria asked, putting the silver ball in her pocket.

"Like you, I got a little sidetracked", Miyasha replied, doing the same with his. "So I took a little detour over to Kouza's lab to free our 'friend' here before grabbing a pair of those silver balls to give _us _a cloak of our own & make our way here. Glad I got here before Terenoda could blast _you _to pieces like he did all those Yautja."

"That makes _both _of us, Miyasha. And it looks like your new friend has found the _perfect _target to unleash all his pent-up rage upon."

"Believe _me_, sweetie – it _couldn't _happen to a _nicer _guy!", he says with a sinister grin.

"Amen!", Iria replied, with one of her own.

Both were correct about the rage Scout had inside him: like any wounded animal or one that's been locked up for far too long, Scout attacked with such fury as he pounded, scratched & even kicked at Terenoda, who was suffering in a barrage of powerful feet, fists & claws as he felt every one, earning new scars upon his face. Scout's blows were so powerful, the metal of Terenoda's suit was buckling under it.

Unless he does something, his dream of profiting off alien weapons & tech, along with earning him a spot on the executive branch of the Tedan Tippedai will all go down the drain. What's more, _he _might end up a trophy for the beast currently pounding upon him.

Terenoda had no such desire of letting _any _of that happen, not when he's so close to his goals.

With the disc still magnetically attached to his left forearm cuff, Terenoda opened all the blades before driving & burying it straight into Scout's right shoulder. Scout howled in great anguish as the weapon made a deep cut into his shoulder, spewing lime-green fluid like a fountain before Terenoda gave the wounded alien hunter a powerful right fist in his crab-like face. The blow sends Scout crashing into the railing before it breaks underneath his weight & he falls down to the floor, hitting it with bone-shattering force as he landed upon his back.

Eagle, Hawk, Bison & Spike came to his aide as several other Yautja made their way up the catwalk while Scout & Terenoda were engaged in their scuffle.

Hearing their approach, Terenoda got to his feet & engaged the Yautja in more conflict, only _this _one came to a foregone conclusion: aiming both his shoulder cannons, the madman in red unleashed a volley of blue-white energy shots which all but literally obliterated those that charged him, spraying the walkway with alien blood & organs. A few from the ground also tried striking Terenoda from their position, but these were _also _dealt with by his right shoulder cannon as it aimed down & obliterated the foolish aliens that tried to bring him down.

Lime-green blood & insides were all that remained of them.

Now there were only a little over a dozen Yautja & two humans left to _stop_ this lunatic.

It was then that Iria & Miyasha chose this time to act.

Without a word, both raised their firearms & each aimed for a cannon: Iria shot at the left one, Miyasha targeted the right. Their bullets struck both cannons in unison, shorting them out upon first contact as they sparked & smoked just before they went out of commission. When he turned to face his two _human _adversaries, Terenoda charged Miyasha & Iria, dodging/deflecting bullets with his suit as he did so. Extending his wrist blades, Terenoda swiped at his enemies, slicing their guns cleanly in half before Iria gets a hard right foot to the chest & gets knocked backwards.

As for Miyasha, he was grabbed by Terenoda with his left hand before throwing him head over heels, landing on the walkway on his left side, feeling like it shattered. Terenoda strode towards him with malice & murderous intent in his eyes.

"I should've _blasted_ your fucking worthless ass to pieces after I was done _interrogating _you, Miyasha!", Terenoda said viciously. "But _that's _okay! I'd rather _beat _you to death with my own bare hands! Your death _is _long overdue!"

"_Don't _you fucking _touch _him!", Iria barked boisterously, coming from behind & grabbing Terenoda by the throat with her right arm & getting him in a choke hold as she attempts to cut off his oxygen to make him pass out from lack of it. Her attempt _is _a good idea, but a futile one: Terenoda gave Iria a hard right elbow to her side with such strength, she felt like her side caved in & collapsed, leaving her vulnerable to a full-body flip that landed Iria on her back with a hit that made her body go numb.

"_Yours _too, for _that _matter, Iria!", Terenoda said with vehemence as he placed his right foot on her throat, which cut off _her _oxygen flow.

Miyasha got up & went in to intercept, but Terenoda was more than ready for him: almost instantly, the rebellious employee was snatched by the throat in Terenoda's left hand & held up over a foot from the walkway. Like Iria herself, Miyasha was having difficulty breathing.

No matter how hard Iria tried, she could not remove Terenoda's foot from her throat, & she felt her consciousness slipping away.

"As I've told you _before_, Miyasha, you're a bonafide _fool!_", Terenoda says fiercely with a grin. "You wouldn't know a _grand _opportunity if it came up & _fucked _you in the ass! Like so many others, you were _always _too blind to see the greater picture, but then…you never really _did _have vision, did you?! But _I do_, & you nearly took that _away _from me! Rest assured, little boy, both you _and _your little _girlfriend _here are going to _pay _for your insubordination…starting with _you!_"

Unable to remove Terenoda's foot from her throat, Iria can only watch – albeit with a blurry vision – as the mad company man draws his right arm back to deliver the killing blow to her new friend. Miyasha was just as helpless, as his own sight was swimming with black swirls due to not getting air into his lungs. Neither Iria nor Miyasha could do a damn thing to prevent what was to come next – a fact that made Terenoda smile wickedly, enjoying their predicament.

Iria & Miyasha couldn't even call out each other's names.

Having his enemies on the ropes, Terenoda thrust his blades forward.

_THUNK!_

Sharp, alien metal pierces human flesh, drawing fresh crimson blood.

Miyasha stared directly at his former boss, believing he's expired. Much to his surprise (& relief), he found that he can still move his eyes regularly, seeing the twin blades only a few inches from his face before they stopped in their advance & realizing that the blood which was spilled _wasn't _his.

It was Terenoda's.

Iria, Miyasha & Terenoda all look to the madman's midsection: a shiny silver object with rectangular eye slits & a count of seven spikes protruding from his right side, the middle & largest spike penetrating three-quarters into him. It was Spike's metal facemask that was lost to the clan leader during his fight with Iria, which he picked up & threw at the madman in red directly into his side; it happened so fast that Terenoda never felt the impact of it.

Until now.

Coughing up a glob of blood, Terenoda released Miyasha from his grip as he fell to the floor while staggering in his step, freeing Iria from his choke hold as she & Miyasha take in gulps of air back into her lungs before they get back on their feet. As one, they spun Terenoda around to face them with a look of pure malice & abhorrence.

All that Terenoda could do was stare back, his mouth still drawing blood.

"_Fuck you!_", Iria & Miyasha shouted at him before giving him a hard fist in unison.

Miyasha slugged him with his right fist, Iria with her left.

The combined force of their punch pushed Terenoda through the spot in the railing where Scout broke off before falling off as the madman now joined him in freefall, being unable to either block the oncoming blow or even grab onto another part of the railing. He fell the same height as Scout & landed with bone-shattering force, the impact making _his _body go numb & Spike's facemask gets knocked loose from his side, the wound still drawing blood.

"Miyasha!", Iria cried as she ran over to & hugged him as he returned the favor. "I honestly thought I'd never _see _you again!"

"Hey sweetie…I'm not _that _easy to get rid of!", Miyasha joked, getting a smile & slight laugh from Iria.

"You really _can _handle yourself! Let's _finish _this once & for all!"

"You read my mind!"

Iria uses her grappling line to get a firm hold upon an unbroken area of the walkway's railing before going over it with Miyasha in tow, who held on tight from behind as she lowered both down to the floor. Retracting her line, Iria & Miyasha walk over to where Terenoda fell to as Spike, Eagle, Hawk, Bison, Scout & the remaining Yautja crowded over the fallen lunatic. Seeing the approaching human duo, Spike & his clan gave them room to stare at the man which just had his ambitions literally fallen to earth.

Even with only one good arm, Scout turned Terenoda so that Iria & Miyasha can look him straight in the eye, & vice versa. Neither bounty huntress nor ex-employee had even the slightest pang of sympathy for him.

"Oh, how the mighty have fallen!", Iria says.

"Indeed!", Miyasha adds. "Look at you _now_, Terenoda: a beaten businessman who didn't have the insight or even the _common_ _sense _of _quitting_ when he had the chance! You were so overconfident in your alleged success & so intent on accomplishing your dreams that you've all but _ignored_ the serious _consequences_ of your actions & never _considered _them – once! _Who's _the fool _now_, huh?!"

With what strength he could muster, Terenoda tried to speak.

"_Why_, Miyasha?", he asked weakly. "Why were you…so _against_…this project?"

Iria & Miyasha shared a look at each other before facing Terenoda again as the latter explained.

"Because I lost my _parents _to these creatures when I was only just a _boy – that's _why! I had to go through _months _of psych evaluation to have their memory _erased _from my mind…until I _saw _one of them last month when we were chasing it down! Do I _still _loathe them, you wonder? Maybe I do, in part: they _did _kill my mom & dad right in front of me! But do you know what I hate even _more? _People such as yourself using _their _weapons & technology for your own selfish purposes! _That_, my dear Terenoda, makes you even _worse _than the Yautja! At least with _them_, they have a code of _honor _which they follow to the letter – something _you _severely _lack _in! And if I ever had to choose between siding with these creatures & creeps such as you, I'd choose the Yautja _every _time, _despite _my not-so-glorious _past_ with them!"

"…Miyasha…! ...Iria…!", Spike said in Iria's _and _Miyasha's voices, getting their attention.

The clan leader gestured to himself & the rest of his group before doing so to Terenoda, its meaning very clear.

"Iria, we'd better get ourselves out of here as quick as we can!", Miyasha tells her.

"But Miyasha…we haven't even _begun _to bring this place down like we planned!", Iria says.

"I wouldn't worry about _that _anymore: these fellas here can do an even more _thorough _job of it than _we _could!"

Staring at the Yautja, Eagle pointed to his left forearm gauntlet before making an upwards fist & unfurling his fingers, explaining his dilemma.

_I get it!_, Iria thought. _These creatures carry miniature _bombs _on them!_

Nodding, she gets their plan.

"You're right, Miyasha! Let's get going!", Iria says as they start their leave.

They get several steps before Terenoda gets their attention, & they paused to turn towards him.

"Miyasha! Iria!", he says with venom in his voice despite his wound making him weak. "I'll _kill _you…_both _of you! Just you _wait!_"

His efforts caused him to cough up more blood.

"Ha! _This _coming from a man who can't even fucking _get up!_", Iria barked.

"Yeah, we don't _think _so, mister: you've got your _own _problems to worry about!", Miyasha adds. "But look at it _this _way: you wanted the alien technology so bad, Terenoda?! Well, you can _have _it – _in Hell!_"

Digging into his pocket, Miyasha took out the silver sphere he & Scout took from Kouza's lab as Iria does the same with the sphere she received from Scout himself.

Putting the squeeze on their little toys, Iria & Miyasha became shimmers before making their way out of the main equipment room, leaving the Yautja & an injured Terenoda behind.

With Miyasha in the lead, he & Iria race through the halls of the facility which were blessedly empty because of Terenoda's orders to seek refuge when he learned the Yautja have invaded the place. Even if there _were _armed guards present, Miyasha & Iria were moving too fast to be noticed in their cloaks as they raced for the exit.

They reach it in just over five minutes.

Uncloaking themselves & pocketing their spheres, Miyasha & Iria were back in the same garage they've parked the former's Kreper. It was still there, along with several others.

But _this _time, they'll be taking _Terenoda's _personal Kreper: as Iria got inside the passenger seat, Miyasha sat in the driver's & started the engine before hitting the switch that will open the door of the facility, allowing them access out. The vehicle came to life at the press of a button or two.

Iria can see the irony of it, & she smiled.

"Taking the boss' personal ride! That's pretty convenient, Miyasha!", she says.

"Well, it's not like _he's _going to be using it anytime soon, Iria!", Miyasha joked before getting serious. "But we _need _this damn thing if we're to avoid what's coming _next_, & believe me: we _really _want to be anywhere else _but _here once that Yautja's _bomb _goes off!"

Miyasha turns the Kreper's front just as the garage door opens up.

"What do you _mean_, Miyasha?", Iria wondered. "How big a blast _will _that bomb make anyway?"

"Trust me, Iria…_you'll _see!", Miyasha says before directly facing the open desert.

With the way cleared & unobstructed, Miyasha punches on the accelerator.

_The main equipment room:_

Hawk watched Miyasha & Iria make their way to the garage, into Terenoda's Kreper & fled out of the facility on his miniature 3-D map on his left gauntlet before switching it off & turning back to Terenoda, who still struggles with his alien captors despite his grave injury. His response was immediate: a series of punches to the face & kicks to the sides in payback for daring to defile the Yautja code & way of life. When Hawk announced that Miyasha & Iria were both well on their way, Spike replied that it was time for this whole ordeal to be ended. Permanently.

None of his people objected as Terenoda was held firmly by his arms & legs before Scout used his good arm to begin tapping on the gauntlet from Terenoda's left arm. Spike does the same for the controls of the ship overhead the facility, giving it the same instructions.

"What…what are you _doing?_", the man says.

Scout ignored his question & kept tapping buttons before a series of red patterns were displayed as the sound of buzzing began, starting in a low pitch. It grew in volume after a time.

"That's _impossible!_", Terenoda says, his heart racing in fear. "We all but _disconnected _that part when we _scanned _it! There should be _no way _to _reactivate _it!"

"…You were so overconfident in your alleged success & so intent on accomplishing your dreams that you've all but _ignored_ the serious _consequences _of your actions & never _considered _them – once…!", Bison said in Miyasha's own voice.

Scout puts in _his _two cents, _also _in Miyasha's voice.

"…you wanted the alien technology so bad, Terenoda?! Well, you can _have _it – _in Hell_…!"

That said, Spike lets out a maniacal laugh – one he inherited from Terenoda himself – as the beeping on his left gauntlet gets higher in pitch, with more red patterns disappearing. Terenoda could not hide his trepidation: he screams at the top of his lungs as the countdown to the inevitable draws ever closer.

He did not have long to wait.

The last of the patch of red patterns go out.

_Out in the Stardust Desert:_

Even though they've reached a sizeable distance from the facility, Miyasha dared not to slow down in Terenoda's personal Kreper: he knew that at any given time a blast with a very powerful magnitude will erupt & destroy the facility, blowing pieces of debris in every direction. Miyasha didn't want to be anywhere in close proximity the moment that it happens.

And finally, it does.

From behind them, a bright flash of light erupted & swallowed the facility whole like a giant's mouth eating it in a single bite. A massive explosion soon followed afterwards which shook the ground itself, being felt even from inside the Kreper. The ball of white expanded as if somebody was inflating the biggest balloon in the world, brightening the evening sky like a midnight sun. Iria dared not to look at it, for fear of getting blinded by it, but she can tell that it was heading their way – and coming in fast!

Her heart pounded like a jackhammer.

"That explosion's going to _engulf _us, Miyasha! _Move _this thing!", Iria cried out.

"_Come on_, you tub of shit – _GO!_", Miyasha barked at their ride, willing it to go faster than their current speed even though it's reached its highest velocity. The way Iria's heart was racing was how Miyasha's was galloping.

"Oh, _fuck!_"

Iria's yell caused Miyasha to glance in her direction slightly: like her, he sees the light & feels the vibrations of the explosion practically on top of them, only seconds away from engulfing them both. Much as they loathe to admit it, they were unable to avoid what came next, despite their valiant efforts to outrace it.

In no time, the light swallows the duo, vehicle & all.

It was the last thing they see before their Kreper gets tossed around violently.

Their worlds went dark moments later.

_Unknown time passes:_

The bright light & explosion go on for another several minutes, leaving a giant mushroom cloud that was visible for many miles. Once it finally clears, a smoking crater that equaled two hundred acres of land lay at the spot where the facility owned by the Tedan Tippedai once stood deep at its center, with pieces of charred debris littering its surface all over. From close to a hundred yards to the crater's edge, Terenoda's Kreper lay on the desert sand, its crystal shielding protecting it everywhere & keeping its occupants safe; before blacking out for an unspecified amount of time, Miyasha put the shielding up as the vehicle spun out of control before coming to a halt.

Its highly turbulent spin caused Iria & Miyasha to black out for an unknown amount of time.

Miyasha was the first to revive: opening his eyes, he can see himself slumped over the controls of the Kreper as he gets himself in an upright position. He found that it was still nighttime with a full moon out.

"Iria?", he says, looking behind him.

Said person was laying in the rear on both seats upon her side like she was taking a nap, her right arm hanging.

"Iria!", Miyasha said more forcefully as he went to the back & gently shakes her awake while calling her name repeatedly.

"M-Miyasha…?", Iria says with a groan, slowly opening her eyes to see him staring at her.

"Welcome back", he says with a smile, relieved to see her alive & well. "That explosion back there _really _knocked us both for a loop. How are you feeling?"

"Terrible", Iria says, rising from her seats & placing a hand to her head. "My head feels like it's about to split open like an egg."

"Welcome to the club."

Iria smiled slightly & even laughed a little bit.

"Well, nothing a little _painkiller _can't take care of", she says. "But you were _right _before as we were making our way to the garage, Miyasha: those creatures _did _do a better job of bringing down the facility than _we _ever could. I _still _can't believe each one of them _carries _something like that on their person!"

"That they do, Iria", Miyasha explains. "Every Yautja is equipped with a miniature nuclear device they activate whenever they're overrun, defeated and/or need to keep their technology from ever falling into the hands of those who wish to exploit it – people like Terenoda, for instance. It's like a suicide pill that can wipe out about 200 acres of land once it goes off. Nasty stuff."

"_I'll _say. Terenoda probably never even _considered _his whole operation blowing up in his face – quite _literally_."

"Well, I _warned _him he was going to get _burned _from playing with fire. It's how _own _fault that he didn't listen."

"But nevertheless…we did it, Miyasha."

"Yes we did, Iria. With help from the Yautja themselves, we did what we set out to do before it could _really _bear fruit. _Now _all we have to do is figure out which way is back to the city so we can…"

A glare of lights interrupted Miyasha's sentence as they shield their eyes to see a lone Kreper coming up towards them. Both remain on their guard, not knowing if whoever's driving it is friend or foe, especially since neither of them is in much shape to put up a fight it they're the latter. Pulling up next to their vehicle that almost had them touching on the sides, Iria & Miyasha get a good look at the occupants: one was a full-grown, brown-skinned man wearing a multi-colored tunic, beige boots & had spiked green hair done in a ponytail. A thin mustache/beard adorned his face.

The driver was much younger – a female with red hair atop her head, wearing one of Iria's casual clothes fitted for her size. Both occupants smiled at them like they were having a family reunion.

For Iria, it _was _something like that.

_I…I don't _believe _it!_, she thought with a smile.

"Kei! Fujikuro!", she said orally as Miyasha lowered the crystal shield covering their Kreper.

"The one & only!", Fujikuro replied. "I'll be damned, Iria: Kei & I though for _sure _that blast an hour ago wiped out you & your new friend for _good! _I tell ya – you've got more lives than a friggin' _cat!_"

_It's been an _hour _since that big blast?!_, Iria thought, bewildered. _It felt more like just a few _minutes_!_

Her thoughts on the matter reflected Miyasha's.

"Hey…you _did it_, Miyasha!", Kei says, pointing to the man. "You pulled Iria's ass out of the fire _just _in time!"

"Yeah well…I wasn't _about _to let Iria get _barbequed_, Kei!", he retorted playfully as Iria grinned.

"Hey Miyasha…did she ever tell you about the multiple times _I_ pulled her sweet ass out of the fire?", Fujikuro says with a sneaky smirk & chuckled a bit. He got a cold stare from all.

Fujikuro cooled his jets after that, his face turning sour.

_These folks ain't got _no _sense of humor!_, he thought with disdain.

"Kei, not that we're _ungrateful_ & all, but…what _are _you both doing out here anyway?", Iria asked.

"Well, Fujikuro & myself _were _getting worried, so we decided to go in after you both when we couldn't get in touch with _either _of you after several failed attempts", Kei replied. "I, of course, had to take the wheel since _he's _still in no condition to drive."

"You took the TranSat Gate as we did to get here?", Miyasha asked as Kei nodded.

Miyasha & Iria faced each other with a smile, being _very _impressed by their performance – _especially _from Kei's.

"Well, in any case…we _are _glad to see you, Kei!", Iria says. "You too, Fujikuro! I mean it!"

Kei's face lit up like a supernova with gratitude. Fujikuro was a little reluctant, but he _did _smile.

And he _is _grateful for the praise.

"Yeah well…there's someone _else _you'll also be glad to see, Iria", Fujikuro says.

Iria wondered who he meant when a voice called out.

"_He means __**me**__, Iria._"

Her heart skipped a beat from hearing a voice Iria never thought she'd hear again.

_Can it be…?_, she thought, raising her left hand to her face.

"Bob?", she called out.

Sure enough, the mini holographic image of two cone halves & sphere in the middle appeared from Iria's forearm, making her & Miyasha gasp.

"_It's good to __**see **__you again, Iria. You too, Miyasha_", Bob says.

"Same here with _you_, Bob, but…how _are _you even here?", Miyasha asked.

"Miyasha's right", Iria said. "I thought you were _dead _– again – when that Yautja smashed the screen at my house just the other day!"

"_I almost __**did **__die a second time, if we're being honest_", Bob explains. "_After the Yautja smashed the screen, my systems went haywire & left me vulnerable. With barely enough strength, I escaped what remained of your screen & took refuge in one of the few places I __**knew **__would be a safe haven for me until I could recover – Miyasha's computer. Hope you didn't __**mind**__, son._"

Miyasha chuckled amusingly as Iria smiled at him.

"Not at _all_, Bob. Not at all", he replied.

"_Thanks, Miyasha_", Bob said. "_Now I suggest we clear the immediate area: my scanners are picking up multiple vehicles heading this way, & the __**last **__thing __**any **__of us wants to do is play twenty questions with the authorities._"

"_That _is definitely _not _on our 'to do' list, Bob", Iria said. "Can this heap still travel, Miyasha?"

"Only one way to know for sure, Iria", Miyasha said, getting back into the driver's seat & pressing buttons.

Their Kreper roared to life in just seconds.

"We're a _go_, people!", he said. "Care to lead the way, Kei?"

"Just follow me, Miyasha!", Kei says, turning to her passenger. "Hold tight back there, Fujikuro!"

"Just keep it steady as you're accelerating, Kei, & whatever you do, don't…_whoa!_"

Fujikuro's sentence was cut off as he fell to one side when Kei got their vehicle on the move, making a U-turn & headed off in the desert with Miyasha following close by as they race across the sandy terrain for home while avoiding detection by the authorities that were on their way to investigate the explosion. Sooner or later, a report from Iria _will _have to come into the light by the bounty huntress herself, & she had no doubt her friends will want to know what the hell happened that caused the Tedan Tippedai facility to go up in a fiery holocaust.

But all that can & will wait for now.

At _this _particular moment, getting themselves back home was _all _that mattered.

_The Tedan Tippedai main building:_

Vice President Puttubayh & his group of executives sat at the main table of the room, watching the footage of recorded events that transpired within the facility which lead right up to its destruction. The screen then turned to snow of the electrical kind once the blast occurred before it was switched off as Puttubayh & the executives sat in silence for several minutes which felt like hours before the Vice President speaks.

"And this footage was only from a few hours ago, correct?"

"Yes sir", said one exec. "Everything we've all just witnessed on the screen…is exactly the way it happened."

"And nobody was able to get out in time, let alone salvage anything from the place before it exploded?"

"Not a single piece of alien technology or weaponry could be taken out in time, sir", said another exec. "As for any survivors, the authorities are still searching, but even _they _doubt they'll find any from that blast. The only ones that _did _get out in time were that bounty hunter bitch Iria…_and _that young traitor Miyasha."

The room went quiet again as Puttubayh nodded before processing this new information.

His mind was going a mile a minute: he still remembers when Iria brazenly entered the building to first rescue her seemingly deceased boss Bob, who was resurrected as a sentient computer program, & then by daring to confront the man himself, revealing hidden info within his locket – a recording from his wife (or maybe even mistress) Ranfan, who was divulged in the Zeiram project. What's more, she _dared _to grab hold of the man & went out the window with him to get information on what occurred on the Karma, the space station where the Zeiram creature attacked before it exploded to cover up their mistake & placed a bounty on Iria's head so that she'd never be able to expose the truth.

Yet it _was _exposed, setting the company back a great deal.

Worse yet, Iria's done it _again_ with their latest project.

It steamed Puttubayh's blood beyond words that this bounty huntress has managed to make a fool of him – twice.

But he kept his anger in check, refusing to reveal it to his executives as he rose from his seat.

"This is the _second time _that bounty hunter bitch Iria has blatantly interfered in one of our projects", Puttubayh says, walking over to the monitor. "What's more, she received assistance from one of our own people – Miyasha – who decided to grow a conscience & forget his place here on Myce. If not for them, the alien technology we've captured from the Yautja would still be in our possession, & we would've had such an incredible army which _no one _could ever _begin _to defeat, let alone resist. Instead, we've suffered yet _another _setback that will cost us _thousands_, if not _millions_, to compensate for. Terenoda was right: he _should've _blasted that young traitor to pieces when he had the chance, the fool. We've lost good men & a vast amount of resources on this endeavor, & _something _needs to be _done _about it."

"We all concur, Mr. Vice President", said a female exec. "Since the biggest obstacle to this company _is _Iria – _and _that young traitor Miyasha – we should have them…_removed_ in the best, fastest way possible. I & several others here at this table happen to know of some _specialists _who can take care of both of them. All _you _need to do, sir, is say the word, & they'll be available."

The other executives nodded to confirm her statement.

Puttubayh gave the matter some thought: hiring someone or a group of well-trained killers to deal with Iria _and _Miyasha _did _sound tempting to the Vice President, as it would help even the score for the damage they've both done to him & the company he runs.

A small, brief smile formed from his lips.

"A most tempting offer, I must admit", he says. "It _would_ teach a lesson to those who _dare _to go against this very company & its interests. We _do _have a reputation to enforce, after all. But no…forget about then for now. While our most recent project _is_ literally a bust, we _do _have a contingency plan currently in the works – something that's been kept a tight secret & known _only _to myself & a handful of others. Not even the late Terenoda knew of its existence."

Puttubayh pressed a few buttons on the console, bringing the screen to life again as it displayed that of a man in a white lab coat & undershirt, black pants & shoes. His hair was a dark purple that looked pitch black in total darkness, with a ponytail of it over his left shoulder. A pair of round bifocals were placed over his eyes. On the screen, it showed he was standing in a laboratory of some kind with the background in pitch darkness.

A smile came on both their lips.

"Ah, Doctor Shinz", Puttubayh says in greeting.

"_Greetings, Mr. Vice President_", Shinz replied on screen. "_How good to hear from you again._"

"Thank you, Doctor. But I'm _sure _you realize that I _seldomly _call for social chit-chat. I need an update on your current progress. Tell me: how _have _our 'new guests' fared since we've captured them two months ago?"

"_Doing fine, sir. Despite the vicious resistance they've put up when we discovered them on that planet back then, we've contained whichever ones we could unharmed, & they've all been quite docile ever since._"

"And their vitals?"

"_As strong & resilient as ever._"

"Excellent. Listen up, Doctor Shinz: these specimens are to be treated with the _utmost _care at _all _times. With the recent failure of the Yautja Project, _this _operation could be the _only _salvation for our company, saving us from complete & utter bankruptcy. Everything _must _go smoothly, if we are to save face: _any_ kind of errors or failures from anyone _will _be met with the harshest of penalties. Make sure my message is passed on to everyone aboard that station."

"_I will __**personally **__see that your message is adamantly burned into every brain in this facility._"

"I _knew _you were the right man for the job. Very well: continue with your work, Doctor Shinz. Puttubayh out."

The Vice President cut the connection & the screen went black again.

He smiled, thinking of the profits soon to come pouring in.

_At an uncharted station:_

Once Puttubayh cut the connection, Dr. Shinz turned around & walked towards the darkness in the lab's rear as his staff kept working at their assigned stations. Ordering the lights to be put on, the blackened portion of this laboratory suddenly lit up to reveal a large room filled with large cylinders filled with water that were mostly ten feet in height & about three feet wide. Inside each one is a black-hued creature that was like a living nightmare: it stood a full two meters in height, having four toes on each foot & six fingers on each hand, all ending in sharp claws that seemed capable of cutting steel. Two pairs of tubular dorsal spines protruded from the back behind its chest, & a long segmented tail hung from the rear that ended in a razor-sharp point. A head shaped like a banana stood on its thick neck, & a face with no eyes but a mouth full of silvery needle teeth stared at Dr. Shinz at the front. It was like a genetically-altered combo of a hominoid insect & reptile – something a mad scientist would create.

As Dr. Shinz watched, the creature opened its mouth of needle teeth to reveal a second pair of jaws within. In a slow-motion demonstration, the thing extended this inner mouth which _also _had sharp teeth inside as it opened up before being retracted within & closed its outer mouth.

The man couldn't help but to smile in amusement.

Walking away, Dr. Shinz heads over to the rear of the lab to another cylindrical holding pen – one that was _many times _larger than most others, for good reason: _this _black-hued creature stood an impressive 20 feet or more, sporting a smaller pair of arms jutting from its torso below the chest, having hands of three clawed fingers. It sprouted _three _pairs of dorsal spines on its back, & the segmented tail was an enormous length which ended in a point that was as sharp as any sword or blade. The head was a huge V-crest shape, with three points at the rear. Its mouth was full of nothing but needles of teeth, & it made a hissing sound that was audible even through the cylinder filled with water.

This huge creature, Dr. Shinz assumed, must be some kind of king…or even _queen _to the others in captivity.

He smiled at both the concept _and _the fact that he now has something so huge & marvelous in his possession.

Last but certainly not least, he turned to the monster next to the queen in perfect stasis: it was an unusual hybrid of their black-hued creatures & a Yautja, having an exoskeleton in a dark peachy hue, two-clawed feet, four-clawed fingers on each hand & thick tail that had a sharp deadly point at its end. The head was like a crest at the rear, but was nowhere near as big as the queen's own. On the sides it had similar black snakelike hair but minus the braids embedded in them, & its face had the characteristics of both its brethren & the Yautja, with moving crab-like mandibles.

Along with the hissing noises, it made a distinctive & menacing growl from its maw like that of an angry beast.

Like the queen, it stared at Dr. Shinz with curiosity & malice.

Its threats neither impressed nor frighten the man.

"What _magnificent _creatures you are", Shinz says, his hands behind his back. "Unlike anything we've _ever _seen previously. I doubt that even the _Yautja _could match your superior cunning & malevolence – a fact _more _than proven from the number of men lost when we attempted to _capture_ your kind on that mudball of a planet we found you dwelling in. But their losses were _worth _the sacrifice: you hold _great _potential for us, & it will only be a matter of time before we learn how to _harness _your incredible power. Once we do, the Tedan Tippedai will be _invincible!_"

Dr. Shinz moved in closer to the glass of the cylinder the Hybrid was encased in, which did the same until they were practically staring directly at each other.

"You & your fabulous breed – we're going to get along _quite_ famously", Shinz said, his mouth in a big smile.

The Hybrid simply growled softly.

Dr. Shinz turned & walked away to resume with his duties.

He & his staff have _so _much work to do.

**EPILOGUE**

_Iria's domicile:_

Over the course of the next few days, Iria, Miyasha, Fujikuro, Kei & even Bob mainly took it easy, having each been through a harrowing experience – one that was in comparison with Zeiram's rampage of the city. They'd used the time to get a much-deserved & needed rest: licking their wounds, getting drunk at the Clambake, & so forth. The screen where Eagle had totaled it was even repaired thanks to Miyasha, who did a simple repair work by getting a new screen & fixing the wiring to give Bob his home back. Upon the first attempt & turning the screen back on, it had worked like a charm as everyone cheered & praised Miyasha for a job well done.

During the course of their restful period, Iria, Miyasha & the rest gave Bob the lowdown of events featuring their encounters with the Yautja, from the attacks on each of their persons to the literally explosive climax.

Bob took it all in stride.

"_That __**was **__quite an adventure you & Miyasha had, Iria_", he says. "_You've had some pretty close calls __**before**__, but __**this **__one takes the cake._"

"No more than _you_ did, Bob", Iria said, sitting on the couch. "When that Yautja smashed the screen, I thought I lost my friend & boss for the _second _time. You must have some kind of computerized _angel _looking over you."

Bob couldn't help but to chuckle.

"_I guess I do at that, don't I?_", he said. "_I can __**also**__ say the same for the __**rest **__of you!_"

The group shared a good laugh over Bob's little joke.

"That's a big 'touche', Bob!", Iria says as Miyasha sat with her, his arm around her shoulder.

"But nevertheless, we still accomplished what we set out to do", Miyasha says. "We prevented the Tedan Tippedai from duplicating the Yautja's weapons & technology for their own purposes, thus putting an _incredible _hurt on their finances. With two failures in a row on their doorstep, the Tedan Tippedai will need a _miracle _to get back on their feet."

"They're probably _done _for because of those failures, Miyasha!", Kei says. "Good: _now _they know how all their _victims _feel when _they _suffer the price for their investments!"

"Sorry, Kei", Fujikuro says in a semi-apologetic voice. "While it _was _most satisfying to put _another _hurt on them, the Tedan Tippedai _isn't _one to give up so easily. Unless I missed my guess, they probably have something _else _up their dirty little sleeves that we don't know about – yet."

"I'm afraid he's right, Kei", Iria said. "I myself loathe to admit it, but these are people who _won't _throw in the towel just like that. Knowing _these_ people, they no doubt have _some _sort of contingency plan in the works."

Kei's heart felt like it sank to the bowels of her stomach & beyond: since she lost Komimasa last year, she's been just as adamant as Iria herself in making the Tedan Tippedai pay for his death. This new info dashed all hopes on her of seeing her justice come to fruition.

She hung her head in a mix of sorrow & anger.

"Hey, chin up, Kei", Fujikuro said. "Don't look _too _down, kid: even if we haven't bankrupted & brought these assholes down _completely_, we _did _give them a royal kick in the rear & where it _really _hurt – their _wallets!_ I'm betting poor Puttubayh is crying to his poor old mama from losing _all_ that money! _Ha!_"

Fujikuro's statement made Kei perk up, & she even smiled from his little joke at the end.

"Yeah. I guess we _did _at that!", she says. "But the _real _heroes in this are Iria & Miyasha: _they're _the ones who risked it all to bring their operation down!"

Both people Kei mentioned grinned at one another.

"_Actually, Kei, it's really __**Miyasha **__who's the big hero_", Bob said as they faced him. "_Nobody – not even __**myself **__– even __**knew **__about the Tedan Tippedai's latest operation. Were it not for him, we'd __**still **__be in the dark about it, & might not have __**ever **__known about it or even the Yautja – until it was too late._"

Eyes turned to Miyasha, who felt calm yet congratulatory as if he were a celebrity or something.

In some way, he _was_.

"Point taken, Bob", Kei says.

"I suppose so", Fujikuro said. "I _also _suppose I owe you an _apology_, Miyasha."

"Whatever _for? _I don't understand", Miyasha says.

"When I first learned that you were _from _the Tedan Tippedai, I was _very _doubtful about you _and _your story that you gave to Iria & Bob. Turns out you were right _all along_: my _run-in _with one of them nearly _cost _me – big time. Were it not for _Kei _here, the Yautja _I _encountered would now have _my _skull as its trophy. On _that _particular note…I _owe _you one, kid."

"Well…you're not all _that _bad, Fujikuro", Kei replied.

The bounty hunter stayed silent & stared at the young girl from Taowajan, having everyone thinking that Fujikuro might blow up at her. But then, he did something _nobody _expected him to do.

He laughed in good spirits, inciting grins from everyone.

"You really _are _just like Iria, you know that?", he says. "Still, all jokes aside…I _am _grateful, kid." He turned to Miyasha. "Same with _you_, mister: you needed Iria's help going against your former employers, & you delivered with a literal blast. You made the _right _choice going to her."

"Amen, Fujikuro", Miyasha said. "How's the wound, by the way? Not _too _bad, I hope."

"This little scratch? Nah. It still _itches _a little bit, but it's nothing _I _can't cope with."

"_Even so, Fujikuro, I wouldn't recommend you going out into the __**field**__ for a while_", Bob said. "_Like I've done with Iria, I'm putting __**you **__on a leave of absence until you heal accurately._"

Bob's news put a cramp in Fujikuro's good spirits.

"Me? For how _long?!_", he asked.

"_With a wound like the one __**you **__received, I'd say about three weeks to a month_", Bob said. "_Just to be sure you don't suffer any __**tears **__in your cut despite the healing patch helping to stitch you up._"

Now it was Fujikuro who felt like his heart sank to the bottom of some pit.

"Bob has a point, Fujikuro", Kei said. "Even with _my _help, you were _lucky _to have escaped that Yautja when it attacked you like it did Koomba & his men. Taking time off to heal completely _is _the best thing for you to do right now. 'Better safe than sorry', like they say."

Seeing the veracity in her words (& also Bob's), Fujikuro relented.

"Yeah, okay", he says. "Besides, if something _did _happen to me, who'd be around to pull Iria's _ass_ out of the _fire _like I did so many times before? That _is _pretty much a full-time _job_, don't forget!"

Iria chuckled with a smile.

"I _can _handle myself, Fujikuro", she says. "But I _was _grateful when both you & Kei came to our rescue when the facility went up in flames. So…thank you."

"Like I said, Iria…a full-time job", Fujikuro adds with sarcasm. "It's no _wonder _I'm always worth the extra pay."

He lets out a little chuckle, proving he's proud of himself.

_Even when you're suffering from a wound, Fujikuro, you never change_, Iria thought amusingly.

"Bob, with Fujikuro taking _his _leave of absence, I'm _more _than ready to begin my own now", Iria says.

"_Happy to hear it, Iria_", Bob said. "_And don't worry about any leftover escapees roaming the city: we have __**other **__bounty hunters along with the authorities __**and **__myself to help round up all the rest of the strays. How does a month-&-a-half sound?_"

Iria looked at Miyasha, who did the same.

"Trust me, Bob…it's _perfect_", she says.

"_Excellent_", Bob says. "_Kei…would you mind staying with Fujikuro for that amount of time? He __**will **__need your help in getting back on his feet._"

"That he will", Kei joked. "He certainly needed it _before_."

"Yeah yeah, don't rub it in, kid", Fujikuro grumbled, turning to Miyasha. "What about _you_, fella? Got a place to stay?"

"Don't worry about it, Fujikuro: Miyasha's _already _got a place to stay", Iria said, staring at the young man who's like a reflection of her. It stunned the former Tedan Tippedai employee.

"You mean right _here? _With _you?_", Miyasha deduced. "Iria, I'm _tempted_, sure, but couldn't _possibly _ask to…"

"Oh, I'm not _asking_, Miyasha", Iria said. "I'm offering."

Miyasha stared into Iria's eyes & found them to be just as hypnotic as anything the doctors did when he was in for treatment as a child after losing his parents to the Yautja. He tried to resist albeit in a polite way, but looking into them he saw how they sparkled as bright as any stars in the nighttime sky, & was drawn to them.

And he found himself drawn to _her_, with Iria feeling the same way about _him_ in return.

Miyasha couldn't resist anymore, nor did he _want _to.

"Well, since you put it _that _way, Iria…", Miyasha says, wrapping his arms around & bringing her closer. "Offer accepted."

Smiling, Iria closed the distance & kissed Miyasha on his lips.

Fujikuro stood & stared dumbfounded, but Kei smiled as she loved watching the romantic exchange.

Bob, being a computer program, couldn't commit facial expressions anymore, but did speak up.

"_Looks like __**this **__is our cue to exit, Kei, Fujikuro_", he said.

"That it is, Bob", Kei said, getting over to Fujikuro. "Come on, you big lug – let's give them their privacy."

"Yeah, let's…I'm not one for mushy stuff anyway", Fujikuro says as they make their way for the exit.

Fujikuro paused just before it & faced the group.

"Hey, Miyasha!", he prodded, breaking up their romance as they faced him. "Let me know how it was over a tall, cold one later tonight at the pub, what do you say?"

His answer was a rebuke.

"_Get lost_, Fujikuro!", Iria & Miyasha snapped at him.

The bounty hunter's face was in a mask of shock.

"Let's _go_, you big _pervert!_", Kei barked, grabbing Fujikuro's arm & pulling vehemently on it.

"Hey…_ease off_, kid!", he barked back. "I'm _still injured_, in case you've forgotten…"

Kei & Fujikuro's bickering continued until they got into the Kreper & drove off, leaving Miyasha & Iria alone with Bob in the room.

"_I'll, uh, leave you both as well, Iria, Miyasha_", Bob says. "_See you in six weeks._"

With that, Bob vanished from the computer screen.

Now they really _did _have the place to themselves.

"Some _friends _you got there, Iria", Miyasha says. "How _did _you hook up with this crazy crew anyway?"

Iria laughed like a child after seeing something funny.

"Long story, Miyasha", she said. "And they're not all _that _bad, _or _crazy as they seem. But you know, now that you're a free man & all, what _will _you be doing from this point on?"

"You know something? I haven't really _thought _that far ahead, truth be told. But whatever it is, it'll be something that will _help _people rather than _hurt _them."

"_I _might have an idea about that: since losing my brother when we first encountered Zeiram on the Karma, I've felt like there was an empty void in my heart…one that still hasn't been filled. Even Fujikuro, Bob & Kei couldn't fill it, despite their best intentions. So, I was wondering…would you like to take his place as my partner?"

"You mean…go into the bounty hunting business, same as you & your friends?"

"Why not? You've already _proved _that you can handle yourself – against both your ex-boss Terenoda _and _the Yautja. Think of all the _criminals _we can capture together, not to mention all the _lives _we can save. And you _did _say you wanted a profession that _helps _people, remember?"

"Good point. And we _did _make a great team back there."

"Yes…we did."

"Well, you're on a leave of absence for six weeks, so…I'll give you a positive answer by then. Fair enough?"

"I can wait for your answer then. But there's _one _thing I _can't _wait for."

"What's that?"

Iria didn't answer verbally: she immediately wrapped her arms around Miyasha as they continued their passionate kiss they made last for several minutes before taking it over first to the shower, followed by Iria's bedroom.

After an hour of unbelievable bliss, they slept in each other's arms with the covers reaching halfway up their bodies. During their bliss, Iria shed tears not because she was sad, but because she was _happy_ – a feeling she had never experienced but always longed for.

Miyasha gave her that chance.

_I love you, Iria_, Miyasha thought.

_I love you, Miyasha_, Iria thought.

The two young lovers slept like babies, each feeling like their lives were whole.

It would be the first of many days & nights to come.

**MEMORIALS:**

2003 memorials:

Eisei Amamoto, Famed Japanese Actor who Starred in Many Tokusatsu Films & Shows, 77 (1926-2003)

Ed Townsend, Singer-Songwriter Had Hit in 1958 with 'For Your Love', 74 (1929-2003)

Herb Brooks, Ice Hockey Player & Coach Known as the 'Miracle On Ice', 66 (1937-2003)

Charles Bronson, Actor Best Known for 'Death Wish' Movies & Other Tough Guy Roles, 81 (1921-2003)

Warren Zevon, Singer-Songwriter Known for 'Werewolves of London' & Others, 56 (1947-2003)

Johnny Cash, Hall of Fame Singer-Songwriter, 71 (1932-2003)

John Ritter, Actor Best Known as Jack Tripper in 'Three's Company' Sitcom, 54 (1948-2003)

Sheb Wooley, Actor-Singer Best Known for 1958 Novelty Hit 'The Purple People Eater', 82 (1921-2003)

Robert Palmer, Singer-Songwriter Known for 'Addicted To Love' & 'Simply Irresistible', 54 (1949-2003)

Donald O'Connor, Award-Winning Actor, Singer & Dancer, 78 (1925-2003)

George Plimpton, Journalist Widely Known for Sports Writing, 76 (1927-2003)

Althea Gibson, Professional Tennis Player & Golfer, 76 (1927-2003)

Elia Kazan, Influential Greek-American Director, Producer, Writer & Actor, 94 (1909-2003)

Fred Berry, Actor Best Known as Fred 'Rerun' Stubbs in 'What's Happening!' Sitcom, 52 (1951-2003)

Dean Anthony, Radio DJ of Hempstead's WHLI from 1981 to 2003, 68

Bobby Hatfield, One-Half of Righteous Brothers Singing Duo, 63 (1940-2003)

Art Carney, Actor Best Known as Ed Norton in 'The Honeymooners' Sitcom, 85 (1918-2003)

Dorothy Fay, Actress Best Known for Starring in Many Westerns, 88 (1915-2003)

Laurence Tisch, Businessman & Investor who Co-Founded Loews Corporation, 80 (1923-2003)

Dorothy Loudon, Actress of Stage, Television & Film, 78 (1925-2003)

Don Gibson, Hall of Fame Country Singer & Songwriter, 75 (1928-2003)

Michael Kamen, Influential Composer for Film Scores, 55 (1948-2003)

Gene Anthony Ray, Actor & Dancer Best Known as Leroy Johnson in 'Fame' Film & TV Series, 41 (1962-2003)

Ken Brett, Pitcher for Many Major League Baseball Teams, 55 (1948-2003)

Jonathan Brandis, Actor of Film & Television, 27 (1976-2003)

Kelly Waymire, Actress of Stage, Television & Film, 36 (1967-2003)

Jeanne Craig, Film/Television Actress & Noted Ice Skater, 78 (1925-2003)

Otto Graham, NFL Quarterback Great for the Cleveland Browns, 82 (1921-2003)

Hope Lange, Award-Winning Actress of Stage, Film & Television, 70 (1933-2003)

Paula Raymond, Actress who Starred in 1953's 'The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms', 79 (1924-2003)

2019 memorials:

Eric Pleskow, Movie Mogul who Fled the Nazis During World War II, 95 (1924-2019)

Bill Bidwill, Owner of the MLB's Arizona Cardinals, 88 (1931-2019)

Beverly 'Guitar' Watkins, Legendary Atlanta Blues Musician, 80 (1939-2019)

Diogo Freitas do Amaral, Conservative Portuguese Politician, 78 (1941-2019)

Ginger Baker, Co-Founder & Drummer of Rock Band Cream, 80 (1939-2019)

Diahann Carroll, Pioneering Actress & Oscar Nominee, 84 (1935-2019)

Kim Shattuck, Punk Rock Insurgent & Founder/Lead Singer of the Muffs, 56 (1963-2019)

Marcello Giordani, Italian Opera Star, 56 (1963-2019)

Larry Junstrom, Bassist for Lynyrd Skynyrd & .38 Special, 70 (1949-2019)

Rip Taylor, Legendary Actor & Comedian, 88 (1931-2019)

Wendy Chioji, Former Anchor for WESH 2 News, 57

Karen Pendleton, Original Mouseketeer on 'The Mickey Mouse Club', 73 (1946-2019)

Warren Eginton, Veteran Federal Judge, 95 (1924-2019)

Bob Larranaga, Former Basketball Player at St. John's, 78

Raine Riggs, Daughter-In-Law of Bernie Sanders, 46

Sherwood C. Chillingworth, Former Racing Executive, 93

Francis Currey, World War II Hero who Earned Medal of Honor, 94 (1925-2019)

Aleksei Leonov, Russian Cosmonaut who Became the First Person to Walk in Space, 85 (1934-2019)

Sara Danius, First Female Leader of Swedish Academy, 57 (1962-2019)

Harold Bloom, Professor & Literary Critic, 89 (1930-2019)

Choi Jin-ri, South Korean Pop Star, Model & Actress Professionally Known as Sulli, 25 (1994-2019)

Sam Bobrick, Creator of NBC Sitcom 'Saved By the Bell', 87 (1932-2019)

George Chambers, Singer/Bassist for 1960s Chambers Brothers Group, 88 (1931-2019)

Robert Forster, Oscar-Nominated Actor for 1997's 'Jackie Brown', 78 (1941-2019)

Lou Frey, Former Republican Congressman, 85 (1934-2019)

Scotty Bowers, Sexual Matchmaker in the Golden Age of Hollywood, 96 (1923-2019)

Bob Kingsley, Celebrated Country Radio Host, 80

Patrick Day, Professional Boxer from Freeport, New York, 27 (1992-2019)

Elijah Cummings, Democratic U.S. Representative from Baltimore, Maryland, 68 (1951-2019)

Alicia Alonso, Iconic Cuban Ballerina & Choreographer, 98 (1920-2019)

Mark Hurd, Former CEO of Oracle, 62 (1957-2019)

Bill Macy, Actor Best Known for Television Sitcom Series 'Maude', 97 (1922-2019)

Sybil Peacock Harmon, One of Delta Airlines First Flight Attendants, 103

Bernard Fisher, Pioneer for Breast Cancer Research/Treatment, 101 (1918-2019)

Thomas D'Alesandro, Former Baltimore Mayor & Brother of Madam Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 90 (1929-2019)

Eric Cooper, Professional Umpire for Major League Baseball, 52 (1966-2019)

Rembert H. Brown, Army Veteran & Civic Leader, 97

William G. Milliken, Former Governor of Michigan, 97 (1922-2019)

John Clarke, Emmy Award-Winning Actor from 'Days of Our Lives', 88 (1931-2019)

Jordan Wiggins, Georgia Southern University Football Player, 18 (2000-2019)

Lou Palmer, Original Anchor for ESPN, 83 (1935-2019)

Willie Brown, Hall of Fame Cornerback for NFL's Oakland Raiders, 78 (1940-2019)

Dorothea Buck, Nazi Sterilization Victim Turned Artist & Author, 102

Marieke Vervoort, Paralympian Gold Medalist who Defied Spinal Disease, 40 (1979-2019)

Kathryn Johnson, Intrepid Former Civil Rights Journalist, 93

Leroy Johnson, Barrier-Breaking Georgia Politician, 91 (1928-2019)

Kay Hagan, North Carolina's First Democratic Female Senator, 66 (1953-2019)

Ray Santos, Latin Music Legend, 90 (1928-2019)

John Conyers, Longest-Serving African-American Member of Congress in U.S. History, 90 (1929-2019)

Paul Barrere, Singer & Guitarist for Rock Group Little Feat, 71 (1948-2019)

Robert Evans, Legendary Movie Producer of 'Chinatown' & 'Urban Cowboy', 89 (1930-2019)

Chuck Meriwether, Former Major League Baseball Umpire, 63 (1956-2019)

John Walker, Arkansas Lawmaker & Civil Rights Attorney, 82

James Boyle, FDNY Firefighter who Led Firefighters Union, 80 (1938-2019)

Al Bianchi, Former General Manager of the NBA's New York Knicks, 87 (1932-2019)

Jim Gregory, Longtime NHL Executive, 83 (1935-2019)

John Witherspoon, Actor Best Known as Ice Cube Father in 'Friday' Trilogy, 77 (1942-2019)

Bernard Slade, Creator of 'The Partridge Family', 89 (1930-2019)

Ron Fairly, 3-Time World Series Winner & Longtime Baseball Broadcaster, 81 (1938-2019)

Narayana Reddy, Beloved Indian YouTuber who Went by 'Grandpa Kitchen', 73 (1946-2019)

John Moon, Oldest Known Surviving World War II Veteran of Iwo Jima Battle, 103 (1916-2019)

Johanna Lindsey, Bestselling Romance Novelist, 67 (1952-2019)

Rudy Boesch, Retired Navy SEAL & 'Survivor' Contestant, 91 (1928-2019)

Walter Mercado, Legendary Puerto Rican Astrologer, 87 (1932-2019)

Brian Tarantina, Actor Best Known for 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel', 60 (1959-2019)

Enriqueta Basilio, Mexican Sprinter was First Woman to Light Olympic Flame, 71 (1948-2019)

Ernest Gaines, Celebrated Author of 'A Lesson Before Dying', 86 (1933-2019)

William J. Hughes, Former New Jersey Congressman, 87 (1932-2019)

Ann Crumb, Tony-Nominated Actress, 69 (1950-2019)

Gert Boyle, Gritty Columbia Sportswear Chairwoman, 95 (1924-2019)

Robert 'Bob' Norris, One of the Original Marlboro Men, 90

Richard Cerutti, Field Paleontologist who Shook Archaeology with Mastodon Discovery in 1992, 78

Laurel Griggs, Broadway Actress who Appeared on Saturday Night Live, 13 (2006-2019)

Maria Perego, Italian Puppeteer who Created Topo Gigio Mouse Puppet, 95 (1923-2019)

Zeke Bratkowski, Former Quarterback for NFL's Green Bay Packers, 88 (1931-2019)

Bernard Tyson, Chairman & CEO of Kaiser Permanente, 60 (1959-2019)

Charles Rogers, Former Spartan & NFL Receiver for Detroit Lions, 38 1981-2019)

Robert Freeman, Photographer who Shot Album Covers for the Beatles, 82 (1936-2019)

Branko Lustig, Oscar-Winning Producer of 'Schindler's List' & Holocaust Survivor, 87 (1932-2019)

Virginia Leith, Actress who Starred in Stanley Kubrick's First Movie 'Fear & Desire', 94 (1925-2019)

Thich Tri Quang, Buddhist Monk who Wielded Political Might During Vietnam War, 95 (1924-2019)

Raymond Poulidor, 'Eternal Runner-Up' of the Tour de France, 83 (1936-2019)

Werner Gustav Doehner, Last Survivor of the 1937 Hindenburg Tragedy, 90

Harrison Dillard, Four-Time Olympic Gold Medal Winner, 96 (1923-2019)

Patrick Campbell, Lead Vocalist for Jury's Out Rock Band, 54

Marie Greenwood, Pioneering Denver Teacher who Fought Segregation, 106 (1912-2019)

Mark Cady, Chief Justice of Iowa Supreme Court, 66 (1953-2019)

Vera Clemente, Widow of Hall of Fame Outfielder Roberto Clemente, 78

Terry O'Neill, Iconic British Photographer, 81 (1938-2019)

Norodom Buppha Devi, Cambodian Princess & Classical Dancer, 76 (1943-2019)

Jake Burton Carpenter, Snowboarding Pioneer, 65 (1954-2019)

Azellia White, Pioneering Black Female Pilot, 106 (1913-2019)

John Mann, Lead Singer of Spirit of the West, 57 (1962-2019)

Wataru Misaka, First Person of Color to Play in the NBA, 95 (1923-2019)

Fred Cox, Vikings Kicker who Also Co-Invented the Nerf Football, 80 (1938-2019)

Michael J. Pollard, Oscar-Nominated Actor in 1967's 'Bonnie & Clyde', 80 (1939-2019)

Goo Hara, South Korean Actress/Singer & One-Time Member of K-Pop Group, 28

Cathy Long, Louisiana Democrat who Won Husband's Seat in House After his Death, 95

Harry Morton, Restauranteur & Son of Hard Rock Café Founder, 38

Gahan Wilson, Grim Cartoonish whose Work was Featured in Playboy & the New York Times, 89 (1930-2019)

Barbara Hillary, First African-American Woman to Reach the North & South Poles, 88 (1931-2019)

Nick Clifford, Last Surviving Carver of Mount Rushmore, 98

Edward Dee, Founder of Smarties Candy Company, 95 (1924-2019)

Garth Reeves Sr., Former Longtime Publisher of the Miami Times, 100 (1919-2019)

Godfrey Gao, Actor Known for 2014 Film 'The Mortal Instruments', 35 (1984-2019)

C.P. Crawford, Believed to be the Oldest Man in America, 112 (1907-2019)

Natalie Trundy, Actress Best Known for Starring in Four 'Planet of the Apes' Films, 79 (1940-2019)

Rev. Clay Evans, Civil Rights Leader & Gospel Legend, 94 (1925-2019)

Rev. George Clements, Chicago Priest & Civil Rights Activist, 87 (1932-2019)

Henry Bullough, Former NFL Coach, 85 (1934-2019)

William Ruckelshaus, Indianapolis Native who Defied Nixon in Watergate Firing, 87 (1932-2019)

Agnes Pilgrim, Global Advocate of Indigenous Rights, 95 (1924-2019)

Clive James, Australian Journalist, Writer, Joker & Intellectual, 80 (1939-2019)

Yasuhiro Nakasone, Former Prime Minister of Japan, 101 (1918-2019)

James Holloway, Decorated Aviator & Navy's Former Top Admiral, 97 (1922-2019)

Irving Burgie, Hall of Fame Songwriter who Wrote 'Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)', 95 (1924-2019)

Makio Inoue, Japanese Voice Actor Best Known for 'Lupin III' & Captain Harlock, 80 (1938-2019)

Pat Sullivan, Legendary Auburn Quarterback who Won Heisman Trophy in 1971, 69 (1950-2019)

Shelley Morrison, Actress Best Known for NBC Sitcom 'Will & Grace', 83 (1936-2019)

Renee Alevas, Survivor of Nazi Holocaust, 90

Allan Gerson, Attorney who Helped Victims of International Terrorism, 74 (1945-2019)

Mariss Jansons, Famed Conductor, 76 (1943-2019)

D.C. Fontana, Famed Hollywood Write Best Known for Writing Original 'Star Trek' Series, 80 (1939-2019)

Jimmy Cavallo, Syracuse Rock Legend, 92 (1927-2019)

Leonard Goldberg, Legendary TV Producer for 'Charlie's Angels' & 'Starsky & Hutch', 85 (1934-2019)

Robert K. Massie, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Historian who Wrote of Russian Czars, 90 (1929-2019)

Adam Peiperl, Artist who Created Kinetic Light Sculptures, 84 (1935-2019)

Dorcas Hardy, First Female Administrator of Social Security, 73 (1946-2019)

Ron Leibman, Award-Winning Actor Best Known as Roy Cohn in 'Angels in America', 82 (1937-2019)

Berkley Bedell, Former Iowa Congressman, 98 (1921-2019)

Jay Kriegel, NYC Power Player & Cerebral Advisor to Mayors & Governors, 79

Caroll Spinney, Beloved Big Bird Actor on 'Sesame Street' Children's Program, 86 (1933-2019)

Rene Auberjonois, Actor Best Known for 'Benson' & 'Star Trek: Deep Space Nine' Shows, 79 (1940-2019)

Robert Walker Jr., 'Star Trek' Actor & Son of Hollywood Superstars, 79 (1940-2019)

Jarad Anthony Higgins, Rapper Known Professionally as Juice WRLD, 21 (1998-2019)

Pete Frates, Founder of the Ice Bucket Challenge, 34 (1984-2019)

Edna S. Primus, Civil Rights Lawyer, 75 (1944-2019)

Paul Volcker, Fed Chairman who Waged War on Inflation, 92 (1927-2019)

Philip McKeon, Actor Best Known as Tommy in Classic Television Sitcom 'Alice', 55 (1964-2019)

Marie Fredriksson, Lead Singer & Keyboardist for Pop Rock Duo Roxette, 61 (1958-2019)

Chris Cotton, Comedian who Co-Starred in Comedy Central's 'Every Damn Day', 32

Danny Aiello, Blue-Collar Character Actor, 86 (1933-2019)

Jack Scott, Singer/Songwriter who Had String of Hits in the Late 1950s, 83 (1936-2019)

Mary Leo, World War II Orphan & West Islip Businesswoman, 86 (1933-2019)

George J. Laurer, Inventor/Developer of Ubiquitous UPC Format, 94 (1925-2019)

Felix Rohatyn, Banker who Saved New York City from Bankruptcy During the 1970s, 91 (1928-2019)

Richard Hatcher, Former Mayor of Gary, Indiana, 86

Rosa Porto, Founder of Porto's Bakery & Café Chain, 89

Anna Karina, Iconic French New Wave Actress, 79

James 'Radio' Kennedy, TL Hanna High School Legend & Movie Inspiration, 73

Chuy Bravo, Actor Best Known as Chelsea Handler's Sidekick on her Talk Show, 63 (1956-2019)

Hayden Fry, Longtime Football Coach of Iowa University, 90 (1929-2019)

Emil Richards, Percussionist who Snapped his Fingers for 'The Addams Family' Theme Song, 87 (193-2019)

Herman Boone, Inspirational 'Remember the Titans' Football Coach, 84 (1935-2019)

Peter Snell, Three-Time Olympic Champion Runner, 80 (1938-2019)

Wayne Warsaw, Former Semi-Pro Football Player & Brentwood Coach, 45

Mary Fenlon, Mentor/Adviser to Hoyas Basketball, 81

Reinhard Bonnke, Pentecostal Preacher who Drew Millions, 79 1940-2019)

Bill Simpson, Indy 500 Racer who Developed Safety Firesuit, 79 (1940-2019)

Shahdon Winchester, International Soccer Player, 27

Angelo Lozada, Renowned New York Comedian, 53 (1966-2019)

Geula Cohen, Longtime Nationalist Israeli Lawmaker, 93

Tim Farrell, Co-Founder of 9/11 Charity, 62

Junior Johnson, Legendary NASCAR Racer, 88 (1931-2019)

Emanuel Ungaro, Adventurous French Fashion Designer, 86 (1933-2019)

Ward Just, Washington Post Reporter & Acclaimed Political Novelist, 84 (1935-2019)

Martin Peters, 1966 World Cup Winner for England & West Ham Legend, 76 (1943-2019)

Mel Cabang, Honolulu Comedian, 77 (1942-2019)

Tony Britton, British Actor, 95 (1924-2019)

Joseph Segel, Founder of QVC & Franklin Mint, 88 (1931-2019)

Ram Dass, Spiritual Guru & Pioneer of 1960s Psychedelic Movement, 88 (1931-2019)

Edward Aschoff, College Football Reporter for ESPN, 34 (1985-2019)

Elizabeth Spencer, Award-Winning Author of 'The Light in the Piazza', 98 (1921-2019)

Allee Willis, Award-Winning Songwriter Best Known for Opening Theme Song to 'Friends' Sitcom, 72

Elbert Dubenion, Buffalo Bills Receiver Called 'Golden Wheels' for his Tremendous Speed, 86 (1933-2019)

Sleepy LaBeef, Rockabilly Musician Known for Energetic Live Shows, 84 (1935-2019)

Ari Behn, Author & Ex-Husband of Norwegian Princess Martha Louise, 47 (1972-2019)

Da Chen, Chinese Author of 'Colors of the Mountain', 57 (1962-2019)

William Saar, Former NYPD Officer & NBA Referee, 87

Jerry Herman, Award-Winning Composer & Lyricist Known for 'Hello, Dolly!' & Others, 88 (1931-2019)

Don Imus, Veteran Broadcaster of Television & NYC Radio, 79 (1940-2019)

Lee Mendelson, Producer of Animated 'Peanuts' TV Specials Including 'A Charlie Brown Christmas', 86 (1933-2019)

Jocelyn Burdick, Former United States Senator, 97 (1922-2019)

Dr. H. Wayne Carver II, Sandy Hook Medical Examiner, 67 (1952-2019)

Sue Lyon, Actress Best Known for Stanley Kubrick's 1962 Film 'Lolita', 73 (1946-2019)

Neil Innes, 'Monty Python' Comedian who Co-Created the Rutles, 75 (1944-2019)

Kelly Fraser, Inspirational Inuit-Canadian Singer Known for her Version of Rihanna's 'Diamonds', 26 (1993-2019)

Fred Graham, Legal Affairs Reporter & Court TV Anchor, 88 (1931-2019)

Gertrude Himmelfarb, Conservative Historian of Ideas, 97 (1922-2019)

Victor Shargai, Theater Leader of Washington, D.C., 83 (1936-2019)

J. Charles Jones, Civil Rights Activist, 82 (1937-2019)

Sonny Mehta, Chairman of Knopf Publishing House, 77 (1942-2019)

Syd Mead, Concept Artist Behind 'Blade Runner', 'Tron', 'Aliens' & Others, 86 (1933-2019)

Paul Kelley, Marine Corps Commandant During Beirut Bombing, 91 (1928-2019)

Jack Sheldon, Jazz Trumpeter, Merv Griffin Sidekick & 'Conjunction Junction' Singer, 88 (1931-2019)


End file.
